On the occasion of a Peter Mettler (Picture of Light) retrospective in Lucerne, Switzerland, what started out as “a small accompaniment” to the program quickly turned into a “scrapbook of sorts” with film notables including our own indie stars Bruce McDonald, Atom Egoyan, and Patricia Rozema offering generous praise to the Swiss/Canadian documentary/ avant garde filmmaker/cinematographer. Thus the genesis of Peter Mettler: Making the Invisible Visible.

To be fair, the scrapbook compilers warn us on the inside cover that “this book reflects the open-mindedness of Peter Mettler’s work and character. Instead of categorizing[,] it presents a broad collection of material and perspectives on his films, starting-points from which the reader may embark on his/her own journey into Peter Mettler’s work.” But dense in art-speak prose, steeped in mind-numbing philosophical musings (“We know what is by what is represented as much as we have experienced ourselves”) and unabashed testimonials (Rozema semi-seriously comparing him to Christ), the book fails to enlighten or serve as a starting point.

Mettler may be a genius. His sensibilities may be so evolved that his audience is a coterie of a chosen few who can smugly say “I get it.” I have never seen a Peter Mettler film. Admittedly, the sensibilities of non-linear approaches to narrative more often than not elude me. But with interest sufficiently piqued and a day timer that’s not overly saturated, I’m willing to give anything a go. Especially if I’ve just been given the key to understanding a filmmaker’s work that previously would have been inaccessible. However, after reading Peter Mettler: Making the Invisible Visible I’m inclined to think that Mettler and I might not speak the same film language. Because the book assumes Mettler’s de facto genius, it never allows those of us with a less evolved esthetic an entrée. Thus, Making the Invisible Visible is simply an extended sermon to the converted, alienating those who don’t see the light.