INTERVIEW: “A 2014 SPACE ODYSSEY, WITH KEIR DULLEA AND GARY LOCKWOOD!”

…Somewhere in deepest Londinium, a truly unique event was about to begin…

The Mission:

To join a select group of journalists, for a ‘Q and A’ session with Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, star protagonists of Stanley Kubrick’s legendary cinematic opus, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

…Undoubtedly, I had enthusiastically chosen to accept, and yet, somehow, I could not dismiss the overriding feeling that the stars had aligned and the opportunity had chosen me…

Arriving early, I took the space and time to dwell upon the imminent proceedings. Only in November had I disembarked upon my journey with the blockbuster movie…and now, I was installed in a low-lit, BFI Southbank Studio, sharing a front-row, replete with male counterparts, conversing about Kubrick’s created world and the chance for further enlightenment thereof, with the giddy excitement of a child, about to unwrap a plethora of gifts, on Christmas morning!

Our expedition ‘Captain’ was Rhidian Davis, Producer of the BFI’s hugely impressive ‘Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder’ Season. Relaxed and congenial, he was also enlivened by the audience response to the scheduled UK-wide selection of events, particularly indicated by all of the “really positive” social media feedback. As he waxed lyrically, the gentle hum of classical music began piping through the surround-sound, in turn, sending my mind through its own wormhole, to the opening sequence of ‘2001’..Seemingly, wherever I went, my world was happily fated to an endless soundtrack, without the need of Soundcloud! Yet, with a topline punctuated, every so often, by the swing of a door, I would fall back into the realms of the present…to darkness falling…to the majestic ‘2001’ trailer…to new voices joining the chorus…and, at its close, to the recognition of the word “Fantastic” being uttered by one particularly familiar American accent…

…That of ‘Dave Bowman’…the one and only, Mr Keir Dullea! (Cue internal applause!)…quickly followed by another Stateside inflection, which (by process of elimination), could have been (and was) none other than ‘Frank Poole’, a.k.a, Mr Gary Lockwood! (Ditto, with the applause!)… In stature, they were the exact opposite! Dullea, tall, lithe, piercingly-bright-eyed, silver-haired, bearded and elegantly-suited, with an air of suave, Savile Row. Lockwood, gracefully-greying, with eyes of warm, deep-set intensity and an imposing silhouette, wrapped in smart-casual attire, signalling the powerful physique of his days as a quarterback and stuntman. Yet, we were to learn that their personalities made them quite the most perfect interview double-act and their arrival had signalled our take-off, into streams of consciousness, run-on lines and priceless memories, which were to become an integral part of my own, and went a little something like this (‘stage directions’ and all!)…

[The room falls into an enjoyable outer space silence].

…Of the premiere of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’…

KD [Thoughtful. Considered. Bowman-like!]: “It blew me away… Nothing readies you… The ‘Dawn of Man’ Sequence surprised me the most..”

(It transpires that they had seen no rushes of that section, as the scenes were filmed after they had wrapped their own).

GL [Excitedly, as if reliving the moment.]: “Everyone was reading about the hype of the film… but it wasn’t all that well received..”

(Save for the shuffling of a few pens on paper…the room is still, as we absorb their every word).

KD [Glancing over to GL, continuing the thought.]: “…[It] got unbelievably mixed reviews…I began to doubt that it was going to happen [be successful]…Not that it was less of a film…”

…On how they initially got cast…

KD [Measured, with a wry smile.]: “I went to a fortune teller at the Battersea Funfair and the palmist said that he saw a rocketship [in my hand]!!…I returned home and my wife said I was to call my agent…I was told that Stanley Kubrick had offered me the part…but I was also in a play with Laurence Olivier, in London, already…”

GL [Confident. Quickly chimes in!]: “I knew it was over! I knew it would be the job! None of us was going to be in a better part than that! Warren Beatty said ‘They were lucky!’…”

KD [Buoyant.]: “He was right!!!”

(The men look at each other in recognition of two friends having been in the once-in-a-lifetime experience, together. They chuckle along in the moment of nostalgia…Their warmth is infectious and the smiles spread around the room!).

…On Kubrick, himself…

KD [With a real sense of awe.]: “In general, people rave about the experience. Kubrick was so easygoing with us. I felt I was in the presence of genius…He was the most prepared of any director I’d ever worked with. Part of his genius was the way he cast…He cast well.”

(At this point, we learn that prior to ‘2001’, Gary Lockwood was a stuntman and had already been in such epic films as Kubrick’s ‘Spartacus.’ He asked Kubrick why he had been cast)..

GL [With a cheeky glint in his eye.]: “He said, ‘I thought you could do a lot, without doing anything!’…”

KD [Still caught up in awestruck mood.]: “[Kubrick] was the most curious man I’d ever met…”

GL [Bursts into the hushed atmosphere. Continues his thought!]: “People who are really good at something have to have a good I.Q! When the ‘Pentax’ was invented, he gave his daughter the ‘Pentax’ and told her to photgraph everything that looked good. She had ‘the eye’…”

(Recounting Kubrick, increases the momentum of memories, so much so, that the energy behind Gary’s statement somewhat renders it an announcement! The gravitas has us on tenterhooks…)

…Of the movie…

KD [With deep respect.]: “The genius of this film has withstood, generation to generation. What a compliment to Stanley Kubrick.”

(The silence is golden. We all feel the respect. We all agree).

…Of the films, ‘Gravity’ and ‘Interstellar’…

GL [Bold. Objective.]: “ ‘Interstellar?’ It’s not as good as ‘2001’ but there are some really great moments! Symbiotically… all things in ‘2001’ seem to work…I don’t think ‘Interstellar’ did that. The great sci-fi movie, other than ‘2001’, is ‘Blade Runner’… It’s incredible!

KD [Deliberate. Pensive.]: “ ‘Gravity’…It’s a different experience. I enjoyed it enormously. I’m proud to have been part of this movie [‘2001’]. The last really great film I saw, last month, was ‘Force Majeure’..Painfully funny is a good way to describe it. Don’t miss it!

GL [Cheery. Enthusiastic.]: “See ‘Birdman’* everybody! It’s great! Neorealistic film, with trippy little bits!”

(The pace moves evermore swiftly…)

…Of Kubrick’s character profiles for ‘2001’…

KD [Focussed.]: “We had a fictional biography…We [Bowman and Poole] both had double-doctorates and by the year 2001, they would be choosing people [astronauts] based upon their psychological profile, rather than the military [background].”

…On why they were in the pod…

KD[Informative.]: “Stanley would have us improvise scenes and then he would take the workshops and work them into the film…”

…On contributing ideas, in general…

KD [In quiet, secretive tone.]: “In the end, when I’m in that 16th century room and I’m the older person eating, and the glass breaks… The reason why I asked Stanley if I could knock it over, was in order to sense things in a different way……. The old-age make-up took 12 hours to do!”

…On re-acclimatising to Earth, after so many hours in outer space…

KD [Jokily]: “It wasn’t hard…you just had a coffee!”

(Laughter ensues!)

…On the lack of dialogue in the film…

KD [Wonderfully matter-of-fact!]: “We’ve been in space a long while…We know each other so well, that there’s nothing much left to say! It’s laidback, as it would be, after so long…One of the interesting aspects is that the computer was more human than the humans! The only real emotional scene was when I am taking HAL’s brain apart… What I used [for intention/inspiration] was ‘Of Mice and Men’…

…Of actor, Nigel Davenport, as HAL 9000…

KD [Jocular.]: “Nigel Davenport was cast as Hal before the ultimate actor…and for the longest time, it was like Michael Caine!”

(More laughter fills the studio, owing to Keir’s brilliant impersonation of an English-accented HAL…!!)

On such a high, the ‘Q and A’ session was ‘a wrap’!

Time spent in the presence of two of the wisest, most engaging, fun-loving people whom I have been blessed to meet-and-greet, was gone, in warp-speed..

The mission might have been over but, within that silent millisecond, a mental image of Dave Bowman, hurtling into the future, sprang to mind…Proof positive that, not only would the film continue long into my own…but, having met these delightful gentlemen, the words “Open the pod bay doors, HAL” would never be the same again!

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARMEST AFROW-THANKS TO…

MESSRS KEIR DULLEA (KD) AND GARY LOCKWOOD (GL)

RHIDIAN DAVIS (BFI)

SARAH HARVEY PUBLICITY

THE BFI’S LEGENDARY ‘SCI-FI: DAYS OF FEAR AND WONDER’ SEASON CONTINUES…

*(Since the time of going to press, ‘Birdman’ has received 7 Golden Globes Nominations).

REVIEW: “2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY”

If ever a creation of cinematic endeavour were made for HD technology, then ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ is it!

Currently showing as part of the BFI’s gargantuan ‘Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder’ Season, it is arguably the knockout centrepiece, within a roomful of genre heavyweights!

Whilst I had heard much of the Stanley Kubrick/ Arthur C. Clarke classic, I only became acquainted with the sci-fi archetype, in all of its visual re-mastered splendour, in November, at a BFI preview screening. You may, indeed, gasp… but I rather saved mine for the believable surreality, expressed by lavish scenes of space and a glorious classical score! In fact, sat in a pod-like room (in shape, rather proportions!), with a screen, which became my ‘visor’ into every impeccable image, for me, neither the timing, nor the location could have been more perfect…

I read, well, excitedly surfed, the synopsis…Words levitated at me… I summised that a monolith visits Earth, mystifies apes, re-appears in 2001, signals Jupiter and astronauts David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) are sent on a mission to investigate…under the watchful gaze of on-ship computer, HAL!

…And so it began…

From the crescendo of discordant sound against nothingness and visceral vividness of ‘The Dawn of Man’, to the comparative implication of sophistication and elegance of modern man and machine, borne out of the divine works of Strauss, I was hooked!

An overture of sheer fine art was sustained through an uncompromisingly focused vision.

Each frame a multi-platform symmetry of the highest quality and incredible detail…with the genius woven through the process of creatively honouring them.

For example, some of the most impeccable avant-garde apparel, by Sir Hardy Amies, graced the eye, with an aesthetic of lines so clean and sharp, cut so, entirely, be-yond minimal, that I could barely breathe! Out-of-this-world ovoid millinery and super-inventive, zero-gravity gripper shoes only underlined selecting the haute-couture designer! Furthermore, the use of such household names as ‘Pan Am’, as the method to reach the Space Station and staying at the ‘Hilton Hotel’, once there, in addition to such highly innovative technology, as video immigration and phonecard screencalls, were smart , yet utterly convincing.

There really is nothing new under the sun, as over 40 years later, we’re calling them ‘fashion-forward’, ‘product placement’, ‘check-in’ and ‘Skype’!  That said, I have yet to see a 360-degree, rotating elevator, but boy, am I glad that Kubrick not only had it in mind, but beautifully played it out, on-screen… There simply is nothing quite like the lasting image of an intergalactic air-stewardess, completely upside-down, en route to serving technicolour food, to passengers, whose falling arms (when dozing), weightlessly float with balletic grace!

Very much like a dancer extending a fingertip, to interpret a sonic phrase, so the musical movements supported and completed the visual motion. Sometimes dense, with legato strings and minor chord progressions, sometimes tense, with only breathing patterns, like vocal heartbeats, being heard, Kubrick was unafraid to strip back aural interplay, in order to facilitate mood. Of particular note, with the introduction of the monolith, was the motif of acapella chorale, suggesting reverence, yet increasing mystery, as to its significance. However, it is in the extended silences, that Kubrick played his most powerful hand. The everness of Eternity is succinctly captured, by allowing the vastness of Space to be embraced by the literal sound of silence. We see action. We hear no correlation to it. The quietude is deafening. The effect? Incremental hypersensitivity. Emotions are, thus, heightened. A directorial masterstroke…

…As is Kubrick’s casting!

In Keir Dullea (David Bowman), we are arrested by the palest of eyes…nigh-on transparent, save for the most delicate inflection of ice-blue. His voice sparse in modulation..His demeanour still, considered, controlled, to the point of highly-strung. Gary Lockwood (Frank Poole), is the ultimate foil to Dullea, portraying a chilled-out, space-traveller, with an air of the boy-next-door, who ‘lucked-out on landing a pretty cool gig’! Both at complementary ends of shared intensity…Both absolute, in their supreme acting ability to manifest the dynamics of emotion in between.

Then there’s ‘HAL’. ‘HAL 9000‘, to be exact! The conscious entity, which, due to its stratospherically high level of A.I, causes the indefinite, to become definite. Pre-mission interviews in which HAL expresses ‘worry’, only served to elevate ‘relatability’ and exacerbate the fine line between human and high science. Once again, the film deftly explores the narrative, with edge-of-the-seat suspense, which brings us to a most stunning dramatic climax, the like of which only first-person, big-screen viewing can do justice!

Thanks to this jaw-droppingly epic film, made in the 60’s, posing questions as to the life-cycle of Man, proposing fully-developed, intergalactic living and investigative missions to Jupiter, in a time when research is well underway for ‘treks’ to Mars in the very near future, the way in which I look at sci-fi will never be the same…no matter what the world of cinema produces!

To quote Keir Dullea, from a recent group interview at which I was priveleged to be present… ‘It blew me away… Nothing quite readies you..’

..My sci-fi sentiments, exactly!

©AFROW2014-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Heartfelt Afrow-thanks to…

The entire Creative Force behind ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’.

Rhidian Davis

Sarah Harvey Publicity

‘2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY’ IS OUT NOW, AS PART OF THE BFI’S ‘SCI-FI: DAYS OF FEAR AND WONDER’ SEASON!

BFI PREVIEW: ‘NIGHT WILL FALL’

It was a relief to cry.

The day upon which German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, spoke out against anti-semitism* and when a BBC Breakfast report cited a Europe-wide increase in such Jewish-focused attacks*, early upon this day, I attended a preview screening of filmic documentation of the single most harrowing example of anti-semitic hatred. The Holocaust.

When invited to be present, I immediately registered that this would be life-changing. To bear witness to a visual feat, 70 years in the fulfilment, charting the recording, effects and aftermath of torturous barbarism inflicted, human-against-human, could not be anything other.

As I settled back into the cocooned ease of my comfy chair, at Hampstead’s Everyman Theatre, the powerful words of documentary-producer, Sally Angel, echoed around my mind…

“Try not to look away, but bear witness to the courage it took to make the film.”

I silently awaited ‘Night Will Fall’, a digitally-remastered culmination of a creative effort, spanning continents and generations, involving some of the most celebrated names within the film industry and giving names to those courageous, newly-trained soldiers, sent to capture footage.

 Immediately, the opening image of camera number 372574, seemed a subliminal mirror to the tatooed numbers which Jewish people, themselves, would not only be forced to display, but also, become. Shocking visual recollections ensued. From Bergen-Belsen, to Dachau and Buchenwald, the emaciated bodies of babies, children, women, men, in their thousands, bounced like rubber, as they were thrown into tennis-court sized pits. Lifeless, barely recognisable as having ever been human, these mid-distant stills of twisted, physical pile-ups, were followed by close-ups of starving inmates, on-the-cusp of death, existing amongst the stench of rising steam from the decomposing remains of those whom had been their loved-ones. Yet, such was the purpose and necessity of the late Granada Television founder, Sidney Bernstein, then of the Ministry of Infomation, that the ground-breaking usage of the technique, within the context of war, was employed to, literally, pull focus upon this devastating evidence of inhumane cruelty.

A joint film-unit formed, between the U.S.A and the U.K., that would further facilitate this ardent objective to reveal the atrocities of the Nazi concentration camps, as would the assistance of Supervisory Director, Alfred Hitchcock. His participation would add momentum to the implementation of technical methods such as ‘panning’ and ‘tracking’ in one-shot takes, in order to ensure the utmost authenticity of the resultant images. The use of contrast was particularly telling, from German SS officers ‘on leave’, in the idyllic environs of the countryside, to the half-dead prisoners-of-war, staring directly into camera, eyes glazed-over with hopelessness, with the very same countryside as an unreachable backdrop. From municipal ‘visitors’ and ‘upbeat’ local residents, to one woman being carried out, so distressing was the horror she had witnessed. Demonstrating the stark juxtaposition of an ‘out-of-sight-out-of-mind’ attitude, with the abject reality of such a mindset, highlighted “peering into a hell that you could not easily forget.”**

Further, tearstained, eye-witness accounts, recounted the ‘confiscation’ of twin boys and girls, who were subjected to such ‘medical experiments’ as being injected with incurable diseases. Deemed mere numbers, and with 600 Jewish deaths demanded daily, their survival was immaterial. The dark truth of the sheer scale of victims unravels evermore forcibly, through the mountains of personal belongings which were amassed, items which, due to the fallacy that they were moving to a better life, constituted the best of possessions. Finely, hand-made gloves and attire, shoes, glasses, brushes and favoured toys, told a tale of expected optimism…History records that the opposite was to be discovered, with the most brutal twist, being that of having bought their own tickets to an unfathomable fate.

***

“Freedom was chocolate and hugs!”…

Expressed by a survivor, the newfound exuberance, is ushered into the documentary, as Allied troops move in to liberate prisoners from the concentration camps. So palpable is it, that I begin to breathe more easily, now aware of how tense I have become. The theme of catharsis continues to run parallel to the rehabilitation process. Of particular note, is the significance of womenswear being directly correlated with the growing self-esteem of the former female captives, with clothing becoming “a necessary tonic” to faciliate healing. Being, once more, able to choose anything, let alone an outfit, underscored the poignancy of the basic right to freedom of self-expression, the re-personalisation of the decision-making process and the absolute joy of re-engaging with life.

After a 70-year journey, under the leadership of Toby Haggith, (Film and Video Archivist at The Imperial War Museum and the documentary’s Restoration Director), rushes encapsulating the touching clarity of such nuanced moments, within the arc of the turmoil of war, are not the only elements to have been redefined. A historical record of The Holocaust has been re-presented, which goes beyond a cinematographic process, delving deeper into the human bravery required to capture and reveal such heartbreaking visuals. This pivotal footage is profoundly moving and delicately balanced between immeasurable sorrow and the upsurge of liberation and it is the final quote which still echoes…

“Unless the world learns the lessons which these pictures teach, night will fall…But by God’s Grace, you will live and learn.”**

Let us all hope that somehow, we do.

***

REFERENCES:-

*: BBC BREAKFAST 14/09/2014 ~ **: “NIGHT WILL FALL”: CERT: 15 (DIRECTED BY: ANDRÉ SINGER)

“NIGHT WILL FALL” OPENS AT BFI SOUTHBANK 19/09/2014

Many thanks to Alex and Julia from the BFI, for organising tickets and hosting, to the Team at Everyman Theatre, Hampstead, for their fine service and hospitality.

Special thanks to Sally Angel, Toby Haggith and all involved, past and present, in bringing this life-changing documentary to light.

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

‘HOME-FROM-HOME, AT BFI SOUTHBANK!’

I have been, somewhat, adopted by the BFI!

In a wide-angle view, its exterior would resemble a glacial palace, yet, the automatic opening of entrance doors, leads you into a labyrinthine coccon of artistic excellence, the atmosphere, of which, is laden with creativity. To be within the environs of such a precious jewel in the crown of audio-visual arts, to breathe in its air, is not only inspiring, but to be further absorbed and integrated into a truly stimulating world.

From surreal to evocative, documentary to dream-like, kitchen-sink to Hollywood, U.K. to Global, BFI Southbank programming caters for all tastes. You need only cast your eye upon (and promptly, pick up) guides to current and future screenings and events, to see the wealth of choice on offer. For instance, I recently experienced the genius of “Easy Rider”* and, no sooner had I assimilated its brilliance, than I was back on the ‘frow’, absorbing the, somewhat juxtaposed, supremely-acted and fast-paced, French two-hander, of Polanski’s “Venus In Fur”!

The month of August heralds the arrival of “Teenage Kicks”, an exploration of the representation of such a unique period of pubescent physical, emotional and spiritual growth-spurts of life. The span of filmic articulation, over multiple genres, includes an amazing roster, to include the classic “Heathers”, which will surely resonate in the guise of nostalgic fashion flashbacks and the London premiere of Sonic Cinema’s “Beyond Clueless”, which documents 200 stand-out moments in the teen-movie genre. With a live score from from ‘Summer Camp’, and post-screening DJ set, this is definitely top of my go-see list! Undoubtedly, “I was there when” will echo through many a cognitive corridor…I’m already hearing ‘Ahmad’s’ hypnotic refrain of “Back in the day, when I was young, I’m not a kid anymore, but sometimes I sit and wish I was a kid again..”, revolve around the turntable of my inner jukebox!

September also promises much excitement, featuring the jam-packed weekender, a much-loved strand to the BFI repertoire. A highlight must surely be the ‘African Odysseys’ season, a highly-anticipated series of unmissable screenings and talks. Writer, Nadia Denton will be in conversation, at the launch of her new book “Beyond Nollywood”, part of a 2-for-1, for those who see Chika Anandu’s ‘B for Boy’. Also scheduled is the wonderful “We Love Carnival”, curated by Michael La Rose, which will follow the winding road of the Carnival tradition, exploring its Caribbean roots and musical heritage, to its diverse impact on a global scale.

This is just the tip of the glacial iceberg to this palace, which I call my ‘second home’ and, should the aforementioned have whet your Arts-appetite, simply click the links below, to the fantastic BFI website, for futher details of listings and booking. But make sure you move quickly, because these enlightening events and more, will be extremely popular!

With that said… Go forth and enjoy the seasons!

~

BFI SOUTHBANK: www.bfi.org.uk ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: AUGUST ~ BFI SOUTHBANK GUIDE: SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER

AFRICAN ODYSSEYS

Heartfelt thanks to the BFI Press Team for supporting my cinematic development and being such amazing hosts!

~

*“Finding my way from Hopper to Hoppen!” charts my journey of creative epiphanies via the BFI Southbank and Michael Hoppen Gallery!

©AFROW2014-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

“Finding My Way From Hopper To Hoppen…!”

It’s all in the timing.

The past three events have proven it… beyond a shadow..

Read on.

All will be revealed… as it was for me.

The first, set the scene at the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington Gardens. Mayfair was glazed in honey-hued sunshine, as I made my way to a private viewing of ‘The Lost Album’, an exhibiton of work by the late, great, actor, filmmaker, artist and photgrapher, Dennis Hopper.

I approached the distinctive, weather-mottled structure, distinctly-etched into the cognitive history of Arts…its dappled-grey exterior punctuated by billowing banners, raised aloft in celebration of the creative wonders within. Somewhat awash with excitement, I entered. Gentle scents of artisanal treats from ‘Atelier’, the RA cafe, wafted invitingly, roundabout me. Monochromatic Hopper-themed images emblazoned the space and I was already lost in them.

Ascending the wealth-of-winding staircase to the ‘Senate Room’, was, I mused, somewhat akin to being Scarlett O’Hara, swept up into the strapping arms of Rhett Butler and being swung across the threshold with sheer, Southern swagger! The highly-decorative ceilings, expansive windows and caramel-coloured, well-walked, wooden flooring, momentarily served to fuel my imaginings, but passionately-delivered and hugely informative pre-exhibiton talks soon brought me back into the room, with an ever-more piqued desire to discover what lay behind a new door, to the next.

That which ensued was a rhythmic chorus of movement, of guests from all walks of life. From the designer-clad to the street-stylers, to the suited-and-booted and beyond…a contemporary collection of attendees quickly became the, unknown, precursor and parallel, to the breadth of Hopper’s subject matter. In genteel clusters, they transitioned through an antechamber, where an expressive quote from the man, himself, distils the life-giving inspiration which the photographs had given to him. Standing to read and re-read, in order to familiarise myself with his ‘voice’, the human satellites had dwindled, only to have reformed, face-to-face, with encased black-and-white stills, along three sides of the perimeter of Room 1, lunch-queue-like, as if to devour the prints whole! The counter-cultural undercurrent running through the exhibiton, also seemed to be running through my veins, to the extent that I bypassed the following space and the viewing gallery and began my journey in the final room! As others observed, I perched upon banquettes in the midst of the floor and copied more of Dennis Hopper’s words, echoed upon the walls… In so doing, I began to assimilate the sense of freedom with which Hopper captured everything he saw.

From the quiet intimacy of boudoir shots, taken in L.A., to the ebullient evangelist series, caught, mid-sermon, so that you could almost hear the preaching… From gowned hippies at flower-power festivals, to Hells Angels, at rest and play, to the effortless cool of the ‘Fab Four of Art’, Warhol, Geldzahler, Hockney and Goodman…From ‘Soul Brother Number 1’, Mr James Brown, being fêted outside his Lear jet, to the picture-perfect Paul Newman, a living canvas upon which are cast charcoal shadows of wire and foliage… From the most visceral bullfighting in Mexico, to the stark irony of a welcome which warns you to ‘Keep Out’, in race-hate ravaged Montgomery, Alabama… to the power and poignancy of Martin Luther King speaking at Selma, no stone seems left unturned, no issue too raw, through which to manifest the truth of life and times in Dennis Hopper’s 60’s. Even the narrative of such minutiae as blistering paint and torn gauze, seem to represent revelatory realities behind the glamour of Hollywood and an increasing intolerance, bleeding through the thin veil of society. All the while, the intensity and detail are juxtaposed by an expansive, audiovisual shangri-la, of a road-scene from the co-created classic, ‘Easy Rider’….the constant stream, of which, engulfs you and baits your curiosity, as to Hopper’s unique vista, developed on-screen.

No wonder, then, that when invited to the B.F.I Southbank, to attend a private showing of the seminal indie-archetype, as part of the ‘Icon of Oblivion’ season, I was only too pleased to rsvp, without hesitation, and appease my inquisitiveness!

Second scene set, it was lights, camera, action in a robustly, modern venue, with a Southbank wrap-around…Yet this was no ordinary cinema… This was a veritable palace, doused in ruby-red, velvet curtains, with plush, matching chairs (the pile of which somehow moulded, ergonomically to the body, like a warm, cinematic cuddle!)… unobtrusive air-con…spacious legroom, (fantastic for me, being 5’9″..old money for approx 1m 80cm!)… and at 20:45 precisely, an impressive demonstration of sound, vision and performance got underway.

Having heard of, but never seen ‘Easy Rider’, I chose not to delve into research, preferring to rely on my R.A experience for a creative template. However, from the opening moments of South American drawl, to a dashing Peter Fonda (‘Wyatt’) in leathers and a hippie Hopper (‘Billy’), strands of Mexico, motorbiking and marginalised members of society, started to emerge.

A stream of consciousness unfurled. From Downtown L.A., wide-angled highway scenes on Harley Davidsons, begat pacy cut-aways, themselves, spliced with extreme-close-ups of twigs, only to be followed by contrasting, mountainous backdrops, which, in turn, were artistically peppered with silhouetted figures of our protagonists and an enigmatic hitchhiker, whom they had picked up, en route to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras!

The spectre of automation, hovering over tradition, was also accutely parallelled in a scene which sees Wyatt and Billy ride into a farm and park their bikes in a barn in the background, whereupon they clean their tyres, with a farrier/ farmhand, in the foreground, tending to horseshoes. Modernity and the notion of progress, seem to be replacing heritage, as swiftly as the Harleys.

Multi-sensory statements including the changing faces of fashion, music and spirituality, are vividly presented. Nothing is contrived. The script is sparsely written, to allow for its multi-faceted, sociopolitical meanings to deeply penetrate the psyche. With an energy of unadulterated art-in-response, undaunted by popular opinion and a short-sharp-shock of an ending, ‘Easy Rider’ struck me with extreme profoundity and was brilliantly complemented by the truly incredible ‘Lost Album’ exhibition.

In fact, it is the final ‘view-from-above’ shot, which would resonate even further with me, at the closing scene of my event-trilogy, that the ‘Photographers v Prostate Cancer’ private viewing and silent auction, in aid of Prostate Cancer UK, held at ‘The Michael Hoppen Gallery’, in the heart of Chelsea.

The late Dennis Hopper lost his battle against prostate cancer in 2010, as did my Father and so, by way of honouring his memory, I sought the chance to cover the evening…and what a moving, optimistic, enjoyable night it was! Photography spanned such genres as portraiture, landscape and reportage…decades, with such names as Hendrix and Yehudi Menuhin encapsulated alongside Keira Knightley….and such amazing photgraphers as Thomas Stanworth, Clive Barda and Rankin.

Hearty addresses were given by Lord Archer, himself a survivor of the male form of cancer and leading prostate surgeon, Professor Roger Kirby, both, of whom, were unrelenting in encouragement of men to proactively pursue GP check-ups, at the first sign of a problem, rather than leave the situation, until it might be too late to treat. Enthusiastic rallying was also made, to bid as much as possible, in order to raise as much as possible, so as to continue the fight against this ruthless disease. Notwithstanding the seriousness of the cause, the bright, white gallery was filled with an air of joy and hope…and by the end of the 3-hour event, an outstanding £17,600 had been raised.

I exited with a sense of peace, joy and exhileration, safe in the knowledge that whilst some, dear, loved ones might have lost their valiant battles against prostate cancer, such cheerful giving-in-action, would help to win the war.

I was then brought, full-circle, to ‘Easy Rider’s’ end camera angle, which finished high up in the sky, as if looking down upon the world…

I somehow felt as if Dennis and my Father were smiling and doing the same…

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Many thanks to:-

Simone Stewart at the Royal Academy, Victoria Humphrys at the B.F.I Southbank, Michael Hoppen, Richard Dunkley, Leena Patel, Team Prostate Cancer UK for your kindess and hospitality!

For more information on the above events at the R.A and B.F.I Southbank, organisations and to bid on remaining pictures in aid of Prostate Cancer UK, click the links below!

www.royalacademy.org.uk ~( @royalacademy ~ www.facebook.com/royalacademy )

www.bfi.org.uk ~ ( @bfi ~ www.facebook.com/BritishFilmInstitute )

Photographers v Prostate Cancer

www.prostatecanceruk.org

www.michaelhoppengallery.com

©AFROW2014-2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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EMAIL EXCHANGE FROM LEENA PATEL (PCUK)

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