CPH:DOX Official Selection 2025 laurel wreath
Bold red text spelling 'OBSERVER' on a white background.

a new feature documentary

Synopsis

In OBSERVER, filmmaker Ian Cheney embarks on an experiment in which he brings a series of keen-eyed observers - scientists, artists, a hunter - to a range of locations around the world, often without telling them where they are going, and asks them simply to describe what they see.

What unfolds is a deep exploration and celebration of the power of observation: what happens when you find new ways to sense and perceive the world around you? With customary whimsy and a small painted red square that Cheney brings on every journey, the film is an invitation to viewers to find beauty and meaning in even the most quotidian of locales.

Silhouette of two hikers on grass inside a large red frame, with a climber rappelling down the side.

there’s a universe everywhere you turn.

MEET THE OBSERVERS