Glitterbug

Before that:
Electric Fairy by Derek Jarman, UK 1971. DCP (from Super 8), color, 6 min

Begun under Jarman’s guidance during the final weeks of his life and completed after his death by grieving friends, this Super 8 compilation is a kaleidoscopic, diary-like, sketch-like journey through two decades of Jarman’s filmmaking, allowing the life of a dying man to pass before our eyes. At its heart are outsiders, the marginalized, and courageous cultural crusaders: the queer scene, the fashion scene, the bohemian scene, the punk scene, the glam scene. Accompanied by one of Brian Eno’s greatest ambient compositions, Glitterbug is a delightful jumble, driven by human warmth: the love Jarman feels for his collaborators is palpable—and vice versa. From proudly displayed genitals to a majestically stunning Tilda Swinton, the free-floating montage spans a characteristic selection of Jarman’s passions and interests. In the words of critic Dylan Rowen: Glitterbug “trembles, glitters, and shimmers with a life well-lived.” (N.Y.)