TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

Visions of Heaven and Hell. Mark Harrison, Leanne Klein. 1994.

This is a documentary TV series about the Internet and technology narrated by Tilda Swinton.

The programme starts with a disclaimer about how difficult it’s to say what the future’s going to be like, but they’re pretty much correct about a lot of what they were predicting. Especially about the impact of the Internet. You can find this and be depressed on Youtube.

“They are always on-line and never off-duty.”

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1990: Fruits of Fear

Fruits of Fear. Ngozi Onwurah. 1990.

You can watch this on Youtube.

“Every time you buy a Cape apple you’re buying a bullet to kill our people.” This is a documentary short with a simple message: Boycott South Africa Now. (I.e., in 1990.)

While the message is clear, I’m surprised at how fairly they present Thatcher’s point of view: We do get to hear her full er line of reasoning before it’s rebutted.

“Just don’t buy those apples.”

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1989: Cycling the Frame

I saw the follow-up first, The Invisible Frame, without knowing about the existence of this film.  But I went to Berlin last week and we watched them both, in sequence, at the hotel room one night.

They’re really good.  The first film is grainier, of course, but they’re a pretty fascinating pair.  And the entire wall thing is just so bizarre.  I never visited Berlin before it came down, and it’s so hard to imagine it when visiting now…  It’s like a dream.  And not a good one.

Cycling the Frame. Cynthia Beatt. 1989.

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.