BILL MORRISON: ARCHIVAL ALCHEMY

7:00PM BILL MORRISON: ARCHAEOLOGIES
(1995–2012) 80 mins

Morrison’s astonishing and generous oeuvre is characterised by his cunning appropriation of footage recovered and rediscovered from archives around the world, often scored by distinguished composers and musicians. This selection of four works showcases the depth and range of an artist Variety dubbed “one of the most adventurous American filmmakers”, and includes: Just Ancient Loops (2012), which combines high-res scans of nitrate footage with new CGI renderings to depict different views of the heavens; the neo-noir CinemaScope “trip” movie, Ghost Trip (2000); and Gotham (2004), Morrison’s majestic symphonic study of New York City.

CTEQ ANNOTATION:
‘Bill Morrison: Ghost Trip and Just Ancient Loops’ by Darragh O’Donoghue.

8:30PM SPARK OF BEING
Bill Morrison (2010) 68 mins

Morrison’s use of the often decaying visual remnants of bygone eras retells and reimagines historical tragedies, filmic fantasies and the metaphysical and emotional recesses of human experience whilst at the same time highlighting the very materiality of the medium he so carefully choreographs. His version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is unlike any adaptation you will have seen before; gorgeously combining found footage, a dialogue-free “narrative” and trumpeter Dave Douglas’ score.

Preceded by

Who by Water
Bill Morrison (2007) 18 mins.

A mesmerising and haunting collage of historical footage of ships’ passengers gazing directly into the camera.