Luciana Martínez

'The Shadow of the Sun' draws upon Derek Jarman’s interest with alchemical processes as a metaphor for reprocessing Super-8 film. Jarman once described film’s union of light and matter as “an alchemical conjunction” and experimented throughout his career with creating dream symbolism through the superimposition of image and action. Originally called English Apocalypse, the film’s final title is derived from a 17th Century alchemical text that used the phrase as a synonym for the philosopher’s stone – the highly sought substance that turns base metals into gold and silver. The film was intended as a step toward the idea of an ambient video, that like its musical counterpart, was designed to enhance an environment.

An experimental short film by Derek Jarman the depicts the crush of flesh at an art-world event.

The film, shot in super 8 features figures moving in the foreground and background of an empty space holding mirrors which occasionally flash in the lens of the camera. The images portrayed in the film are reminiscent of Jarman's Abstract Landscape paintings of the same period. In his diary Jarman wrote of this film, 'this is only something that could only be done on a Super 8 camera, with it's built in meters and effects.' The film's title was reworked in the script for 'Dr Dee The Art Of Mirrors and The Summoning Of Angels' in 1975.

La reine Élisabeth 1ère est envoyée dans le futur par l'occultiste John Dee. Elle débarque dans l'Angleterre tumultueuse de la fin des années 1970. Elle évolue dans le décor d'une ville en pleine décadence sociale et matérielle, en observant les agissements d'une bande de nihilistes, Amyl Nitrate, Bod, Chaos, Crabs et Mad.

Au IVe siècle après J.-C., le magnifique Sebastiane est membre de la garde personnelle de l’empereur Dioclétien. Quand il essaye d’intervenir pour arrêter une exécution, il est dégradé puis exilé dans une garnison éloignée dans un lieu désertique où les soldats, en manque de femmes, s’adonnent parfois à l’homosexualité…

A filmed record of a bizarre garden party organized to pay a fine incurred by singer Ulla for "liberating a chandelier from Harrods."