Unwatchable. This is one of the most pretentious time wasters I've ever had the misfortune of enduring. Essentially The Ister is an overly earnest, impossibly obscure philosophical treatise that could only appeal to academics with an interest in Heidegger scholarship. What were the filmmakers trying to achieve in turning such turgid material into a movie? After more than three hours (!) of cinematic torture I am none the wiser.<br /><br />I have been told that the film makers are themselves academics, and believe me, it shows. They take everything that is worst about academia and translate it into film. Quite an achievement, I suppose, but one that I hope is never repeated.<br /><br />Seeing a movie in a film festival environment I always know I'm taking a chance. That's what festivals are about. But programmers also have an obligation to their audience, and they ought to protect us from rubbish like this. As it is, I feel that three hours of my life have been taken from me, and I want them back!