Upward Views

Ten Skies plays like a daydreaming afternoon spent staring at the clouds. The leisurely, meditative nature of this activity might be compromised if heaven-gazers had to get up and move every so often, so director James Benning supervises the movement. Ten Skies breaks into 10 10-minute reels, each depicting aerial activity above a different spot in Val Verde, the California mountain town in which Benning resides. Subtle variations between segments — a storm wind, a puff of smoke pollution — hint at what’s happening on the ground at each location. The unhurried and tranquil viewing experience (Benning calls it “the antithesis of war”) will be a rare opportunity: Benning hasn’t released his works in take-home formats, reasoning that film is film, and “everything else is everything else.” Ten Skies begins at 7 p.m. in the Atkins Auditorium at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak). Admission is free, but tickets are required; call 816-751-1278.

Fri., Feb. 13, 7 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 20, 7 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 27, 7 p.m., 2009