"This is a Story of Dreams mixed with Reality".
When Marek first showed me Hans Richter's film 'Dreams that Money Can Buy" as a potential project, I knew from this introductory salvo that I was in. It's a difficult, deeply flawed film in many ways but it is also remarkable, extraordinary, ground-breaking, massively influential, comic and poignant in turns. It says things about Surrealism, film, art, the American Dream, dreaming in general and the emergence of therapy-practitioners as the new priestly elite, that hadn't been said before - and possibly haven't since. It captures the mysterious, confusing, meaningless-meaningfulness of Dreaming in a way that few films have - apart from perhaps David Lynch's work - and it's obviously no coincidence that Lynch himself has declared it as a major influence.
I've always been very interested in dreams myself. I can still remember some from childhood and, particularly a few years ago, I felt very guided by them - the decision to make music, the name of the band for instance were nocturnally inspired. I actually dreamed of Valentine before I met him.
And last Saturday evening, playing our score to the film in the Turbine Hall with David and Cibelle felt in many ways a Dream itself. The building now called" 'The Tate Modern' - in fact the old Bankside power station - was my favourite building when I first came to London. Martyn and Sophie from The Tiger Lillies were squatting in a little ancient decrepit building (now demolished) on the area near the west entrance. The giant empty hulk brooded as we crossed Blackfriars Bridge from St Pauls to come to see them. It was very quiet then - and there were rats. But the transformation is also wonderful and it was amazing to stand where the giant machines formerly rumbled and play our music with the giant images by Leger, Calder, Ernst, Duchamp et al flickering above us. If you came, Thankyou - and I hope it felt special to you - because it really did to us and I never would have thought three years ago playing that first reluctant show at the Horse Hospital, that we would be here now.
But then that, I suppose, is the power of Dreams.
12 comments:
In my opinion, dreams are a very underestimated form of thinking. In the state of dreaming there is less pressure and restrictions from the superego (or whatever you want to call it). That is why we are able to think more freely and that's why it is only natural that the best ideas and visions appear. It's very sensible to let your dreams guide you.
(By the way I am the former 'aloizii', I had to change that. It was not a very good nick anyway, being mistaken to a russian man, which I'm not)
My dreams are usually meaningless and stupid, like last night, dreaming about going to work and working...aargh. So I'm still waiting for those brilliant ideas to come;) But I believe that dreams are worth analysing, there can always be found some sense in that confusing mess.
Here's a little virtual kick in the arse for alexi: *KICK* cheer up:)
nice, cozy place you got here :)..
Dragged a couple avant-garde filmmaker friends to see Dreams at the Tate. Turbine Hall: architecturally magnificent; acoustically disastrous. You all sounded just fine, but 90% of the dialogue in the film was lost (from where we were sitting). A shame, as the opening rhymes really are a treat.
...I find sometimes the more I create, the fewer dreams I have.
Recently i've been trying to dream more - or rather to remember dreams more - I assume that I do always dream but that something fogs my memory on waking. The other night I had a lucid dream - these happen periodically but I had been reading something on how to encourage that. Did I save the world, stop global warming, see England win the world cup? NO! I drove with a friend, Thelma and Louise style, off a high cliff and floated down to a landscape beneath - all in a chitty-chitty bang-bang style car.....what does that say?!
Some people have said the sound was too echoey at the Tate - I suspect it was to do with where you are sitting - for others it was fine. Hope that didn't spoil it - I guess it's a trade off between atmosphere and acoustics in there. We made a little sampler of the soundtrack. I have four left - mail me your address and I will send you one
Really hope you are feeling better alex....
....waitaminute. How did you know I've been ill?
Don't think I have your email address, but mine's here and I will respond with real world address. (Others: use it wisely, and only for good).
I've used a fugue/dreamstate a lot for working on stories - like a kind of directed dreaming, thinking of a story problem when half asleep then going fishing with nets in the sargasso of the subconscious. But I haven't had a lot of those "okay, that was different" dreams in while. I miss them.
And fret not, my mates LOVED the evening.
It was a bit echoey but very dreamy indeed but after a while u just forgot about the echoes.. and sunk into the dreams..
speaking of Dreams by Kurosawa is also quite surreal but more in an artistic way of the hero communicating with the paintings rather than a Lynch short of way...
hmmm any copies left?
definately with you there on the dreams. i write 'em down - even when they're about going down to the supermarket - 'casue that seems to make you remember them more.
when I lived with glen, we used to tell each other our dreams in the morning (er. late morning that is) - and that was amazing because often the other person sees something in the dream - often in the detail - which doesn't seem significant to you but turns out to hold something important
ok we've got five of these little soundtrack extracts for you guys who've already asked (and stella)- if you mail your address to heronymus at:
heronymus@tuesdayweld.com
i will ask him to send you one - as long as you don't live on mars or something
Writing the dreams down first thing in the morning, before getting out of the bed has worked for me. If I do that later I usually forget all the details.
No soundtracks for me then:( I never get anything, being too shy to ask...the story of my life...
hey nell - it's been really hot here too - with the odd tropical downpour - most odd...
ok, i think the cds have gone out to those who asked - riga and anim ziggy, send your address to heronymus quick!
tck
Stephen, thank you very much :) I just posted my address. (I hope it's not too late!) I can't wait for it to arrive.
Stephen, the cd arrived, thank you so much! And I was very touched that you'd reserved one for me, without me nedding to even ask for one :)
The soundtrack is intriguing, to say the least! I hope this will be released on DVD, so I can see it.
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