Director’s Chair Introduction: Derek Jarman

by Tony Cogan · April 25, 2016 · Director's Chair · No Comments

Send Entries To: directorschairlamb@gmail.com

Deadline: 28th May 2016

I said back in the post I did announcing the return of this feature that I would be highlighting more obscure and offbeat directors during my tenure running this feature and I feel that no director exemplifies this more than Derek Jarman. Starting off as a set designer, most notably working on Ken Russell’s The Devils, Jarman has made his career out of offbeat films, in both style and substance. His first film was made entirely in Latin, his second film was about a time travelling Elizabeth I meeting punks and he made a film that was nothing but the colour Blue. We also have him to thank for creating some of the defining styles for music videos in the 70s and 80s and for being one of the key figures in introducing the world to Tilda Swinton. The films that you can do pieces on are:

  • Sebastiane
  • Jubilee
  • The Tempest
  • The Angelic Conversation
  • Caravaggio
  • The Last of England
  • War Requiem
  • The Garden
  • Edward II
  • Wittgenstein
  • Blue

So any piece you have related to any of the films mentioned above send them in to directorschairlamb@gmail.com and make sure to include a rating out of 5 so an average score for Jarman’s films can be determined. So to end the announcement, I’ll leave you with the videos that made me decide to do Derek Jarman, the Brows Held High episodes on Blue and The Tempest.