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Tombée de nuit sur Shanghai evokes the art of directing and observing. Akerman’s trademark static shots capture the harbour, boats crossing the river, passers-by, the megalopolis’ skyline, gigantic illuminated advertisements and night falling in real time. Tombée de nuit sur Shanghai has little or no storyline, but lots of atmosphere to make up for it. Its depiction of the urban environment is grounded in the dialectical relationship between the observer’s static gaze and the various movements of this gaze’s subjects. The random background noise of a hotel-restaurant provides the soundtrack of this aimless visual reverie.