film maker

Nothing Like the Sun
co-commission between Opera North and the Royal Shakespeare Company

Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
24, 25 February 7:30

Djanogly Theatre, Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham
Saturday 3 March 8:00

The Sage, Gateshead
Tuesday 13 March 8:00

Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester
Thursday 15 March 7:30

The Venue, Leeds College of Music
Saturday 17 March 7:30

team

film maker: Pippa Nissen
music and curator: Gavin Bryars
music director: James Holmes
director or photography: Pete Bateson
film assistants: Kate Moross, Dan Price

description

The film accompanied music by Gavin Bryars, based on Shakespeare’s sonnets.

Themes within the sonnets became the inspiration for the content and quality of the films. Three different settings; either a still life (flowers, a meal set for two) light (candles, burning, lightbulbs), or an exterior street were used. These were filmed in 16mm film, and additionally using an industrial camera at 500 frames a second.

The resulting films was painstakingly slow; feeling as if a moment was suspended. The themes explored revolved around finding the beautiful within things that are transitory; such as smoke from a candle, or rubbish caught in barbed wire blowing in the wind. Eleven episodes completed the film, each using a different metaphor for the content of the sonnets.

A chamber orchestra of eight musicians shared the stage with three guest singers and RSC actors, to present the selected sonnets in speech and song in alternate episodes.