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Counting

Name: Counting
Director: Jem Cohen
Released: 2015
Duration: 111 min

Representation Score

8.1/10

Excellent

2015

Not Rated

Director

Jem Cohen

Runtime

111 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Jem Cohen’s *Counting* succeeds as a global mosaic, utilizing a non-linear, observational style to present a world that feels authentically interconnected. Its greatest strength is the refusal to rely on traditional narrative hierarchies or a singular, authoritative perspective. By moving through cities like Cairo, Porto, and New York, the film avoids the reductive stereotypes and white-centric gazes common in mainstream cinema. It treats diverse identities as a natural part of the metropolitan social fabric rather than as subjects of a specific political thesis. However, the film's fragmented, associative structure means that certain representations, such as disability, remain incidental. While the work captures a broad human experience, it lacks specific focus on neurodivergence or disability as central narrative tools.

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Category Breakdown

Does Counting have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film showcases fluid interpersonal relationships within an urban setting, integrating LGBTQ presence naturally into the social fabric without relying on stereotypes or coming-out stories.

How does Counting portray gender?

Fair

Gender roles are presented through a decentralized lens, focusing on individual experiences and quiet moments of existence rather than traditional masculine leadership or domestic archetypes.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Counting?

Good

The film excels in depicting a multi-ethnic, globalized world by moving between diverse international locations, presenting a mosaic of interconnected identities without a white-centric focus.

How does Counting represent religion and culture?

Good

The film adopts a secular, postmodern approach, avoiding the promotion of singular religious or nationalist moralities and favoring subjective truths over grand, Western-centric narratives.

Does Counting include disability representation?

Fair

The film captures the diverse physical realities of urban life but does not center neurodivergence or specific disabilities as key drivers of the narrative or ability to act.

Present on Screen

Avoids white-centric perspectives by showcasing a multi-ethnic, globalized world.
Integrates LGBTQ identities naturally into the urban social fabric without relying on stereotypes.
Challenges traditional narrative hierarchies through a decentralized, observational lens.

Limited or Absent

Disability and neurodivergence are treated as incidental rather than central to the narrative.
The film lacks explicit engagement with specific political or religious ideologies.
The decentralized structure may lack the depth required for specific identity-driven ability to act.

Official Synopsis

An associative collection of visual impressions across fifteen chapters: a seagull in Porto, political posters in New York, an abstract painting in St. Petersburg, an abandoned video shop in Cairo and cats everywhere you look.

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