The work of structural filmmaker James Benning increases viewer attentiveness and even the way we perceive the film image. His latest feature ushers audiences into a clearly defined space: Vienna’s Museum of Natural History. In a series of static shots – some short, some long, always carefully composed – Benning examines areas generally left behind the scenes: hallways, store rooms, offices, depositories, and technical facilities. As in the director’s previous films, the length of the shots is determined by circumstances beyond his immediate control. In the past, the span may have been dictated by the size of the film reel or the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, but here the first 27 digits of the number π are the deciding factor. It isn’t just the almost complete absence of movement or people in the shots but also the decision to use overt commentary and even the admiring perspective that push the picture toward an impression of timelessness, making of it an experience that transforms the perception of place, object, and even a film such as this.