Installation with wax candle, small spotlight on tripot or any other mount, white wall
Wikipedia: In the Shadow of the Sun
is a 1981 fantasy short film directed by Derek Jarman. It consists of a series of Super 8 films shot between 1972 and 1975 and edited together. Throbbing Gristle were asked to provide the soundtrack, which was released separately in 1984.
Since I have seen this film the first time I was pretty much caught by Derek Jarmans visual story telling melting together with the sound made by Throbbing Gristle. I saw the film a few times at the Theater during Experimental- and Avantgardefilm screenings and was happy to find it later on Vimeo as well. Watching it half awake, half asleep, tripping away with its fary-tail-like images and hypnotic off-beat-soundtrack.
But somehow I forgot about this film for years. Lately I was confronted with Genesis P-Orridge and the Trobing Gristle, remembering me again about their soundtrack for Jarmans film. But this time it was not the images, not the sound, it was the title which blasted my mind away. How could it be that I never mentioned it? Tell me, what is such a strong source of light energy, which gives a shadow to the Sun? For me it is such a philosophic and mind opening question. A question about the surrounding universe, about scale, about projections, about light energy. So many questions I also connecet to the cinema itself.
On a late summer evening in Volos (Greece) I was sitting with friends at the table inside a small yard. Candlelight on the table, dimm electric light in the kitchen. Spotting the shadow of the candle on the wall beside me. In the Shadow of Sun, somehow.
Digital Camera support: Renée Del Missier
Vienna/Volos 2019/20