66 Seasons

Kerekes’ slightly over-long documentary about the (66-year) old swimming pool in Kosice incorporates home movies alongside new footage crossweaves stories from visitors to it (notably his grandparents) from 1936 to present. It’s an affectionate tribute, the pool acting as fine locus both for memory and the expressions of aspiration and social change. At the very least, his film reasserts the fact that pools (and Public pools, especially) are themselves intrinsically interesting places, not least for their somewhat playful, sexually-charged and languorous atmosphere, bringing a taste of holiday optimism and freedom into the midst of otherwise busy everyday life.