Drawn in at first by the ashy drawing of a rabbit smoking a corn cob pipe, I watched the trailer for General Orders No. 9 and then sat in silence for more than a few moments trying to understand what was happening. At a loss, I resorted to reading the synopsis: “Awarded for its visionary cinematography, GENERAL ORDERS No. 9 breaks from the constraints of the documentary form as it contemplates the signs of loss and change in the American South. The stunning culmination of over eleven years’ work from first time writer-director Bob Persons, GENERAL ORDERS No. 9 marries experimental filmmaking with an accessible, naturalist sensibility to tell the epic story of the clash between nature and man’s progress, and reaches a bittersweet reconciliation all its own. Told entirely with images, poetry, and music, GENERAL ORDERS No. 9 is unlike any film you have ever seen. A story told in maps, dreams, and prayers, it is one last trip down the rabbit hole before it’s paved over.” Apparently there’s some competition facing Tree of Life for “Most Inaccessible Film of the Summer.” That’s always a good thing.

You seek a great fortune, you three who are now in chains. You will find a fortune, though it will not be the one you seek. But first, first you must travel a long and difficult road, a road fraught with peril.