Northwest Film Forum

The oeuvres of experimental filmmaker James Benning and indie mainstay Richard Linklater might not appear to have much in common, but they share a decades-old friendship that began when Linklater asked Benning to show his films at the Austin Film Society. 

Gabe Klinger’s documentary charts their bond and bodies of work during a visit Benning paid Linklater in Texas. Required viewing for film lovers!

“At a certain point in DOUBLE PLAY, Benning suggests that duration in cinema reveals meaning. This is apparent, though manifested differently, in both Benning and Linklater’s films. In Benning, there’s on-screen duration: shots that can last anywhere from seconds to hours. In Linklater, duration occurs most interestingly between films (e.g. the BEFORE trilogy). DOUBLE PLAY explores the marks of time, of duration, not only in Benning and Linklater’s respective filmic bodies, but also in their friendship and lives.” –Gabe Klinger

"Put Brett Ratner and Jean-Luc Godard in a field with a couple of mitts and a baseball, and things could get ugly fast. But when the players are Richard Linklater and James Benning, the back-and-forth tossing becomes contemplative, a spur to ideas, and a salute to the value of getting in a good groove." —The Seattle Weekly

"Linklater lovers of the world, do not miss this doc. It was made for just you." —The Stranger

Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater [FESTIVAL TRAILER] from Gabe Klinger on Vimeo.