Persistence of Memory: The Films of Terence Davies (Feb 27-29, Singapore)
Often referred to as British cinema's great arthouse miserablist, Terence Davies is a filmmaker whose stark, poetic and finely-crafted films are well-regarded in British cinema. Openly but unhappily gay, many of his films drew upon his troubled childhood when he was frequently beaten by his father. Terence is also a Roman Catholic who believes his homosexuality is “a curse” and often uses the medium to explore his feelings of guilt and shame. "When at age 11, I realised I was gay, I prayed until my knees hurt, and I was in deep despair I carried on until I was 22. I thought any doubt was the Devil's work, and you have to resist it. Then I realised it was just a lie," he was quoted as saying in an interview.
The first film, The Terence Davies Trilogy (1983), comprise three black-and-white short films that depict different periods of a man’s life – from his childhood to his middle age. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988) draws from Terence’s brutal and impoverished growing-up years, while The Long Day Closes (1992) is about a teenage boy who finds escape from painful reality through the cinema. His latest film, Of Time and the City (2008) is a visual ode to his hometown of Liverpool. The film is largely made up of archival footage that covers the years from the end of the Second World War through to the 1970s. It poetically evokes the many changes the city has gone through over the decades.
Austere and unrelenting, Terence’s films are certainly not for everyone. Mainstream audiences often complain that his films are too subtle, cryptic and slow, while art-house film lovers savor these delicate enigmas. His films are screening at the National Museum of Singapore for this weekend (Feb 27-29) only. For ticketing info, visit nationalmuseum.sg or call +65 6332 3659 / +65 6332 5642.
|
