The Invisible Frame (Cynthia Beatt, 2009)

[Tommaso]

This is a rather interesting novelty, I guess. 20 years ago, Cynthia Beatt made a 25-minute film called "Cycling the Frame" in which she sent a tremendously young-looking Tilda Swinton cycling on a 160km-tour around the Berlin Wall, documenting the landscape, people and Swinton's thoughts and reflections. A truly wonderful film the VHS recording of which I treasure since its first and probably only broadcast on German TV way back in the late 80s.

Now, 20 years later, Beatt directed a 60-minute follow-up entitled "The Invisible Frame", again starring Swinton cycling. This new film is supposed to reflect on the very visible changes, compared to the time when the first film was made, with the Wall no longer standing. The new film will have special sound design by long-time Derek Jarman-collaborator Simon Fisher-Turner.

Both films will be shown on 3sat on November 8, 21.45 and 22.45 (German time) respectively. For those in Europe who are able to get that channel, make sure you programme your recorders. Sorry, I cannot provide a direct link to the description on the 3sat-page due to the way the site is programmed, but you may click here and then choose November 8 to reach it.

[zedz]

I knew that name was familiar. I've seen Beatt's other film, The Party: Nature Morte, which was similarly Tilda-centric and very arch. It's one of Tilda's pre-Orlando leading roles, like Friendship's Death and Man to Man. In all those which I've seen her work is extremely impressive, though this one wasn't quite up with those other two.

[Tommaso]

I have fond, but very blurred memories of "The Party", which - like "Cycling the Frame" - I dutifully transferred from VHS to DVD when I got my recorder, but didn't watch it again. If I remember correctly, Tilda played a very haughty, but still sensual and enchanting character there. The late 80s seem to have been a highpoint for both Swinton and Beatt as far as funding from German television was concerned: Jarman's "The Last of England" was also largely financed by ZDF, for instance. But whereas Tilda of course became a major figure (well, sort of), I never heard of Beatt again after these two films and before "The Invisible Frame". I haven't heard about the other two films with Tilda that you mention, and I was utterly disappointed by "Ada" and "Teknolust", just to mention two of her later 'independent' films. But if you say that "Friendship's Death" and "Man to Man" are worthwhile, I surely trust you. There are few films I'd like to watch just for the main actress, but Tilda's are definitely among them.

[zedz]

Already off-topic, but what the hell. Man to Man is a John Maybury film in which Tilda plays a dual male / female role. It's designed to be a showcase for her and she pulls out all the stops.

Friendship's Death is a brilliant chamber piece by Peter Wollen (yes, the film theorist, but don't run away just yet). For me it's still her signature role. Tilda plays an alien envoy who falls to Earth in war-torn Beirut (she was aiming for MIT) and ends up in a scuzzy hotel with a cynical journalist played by Bill Paterson. The entire film is pretty much a series of philosophical dialogues between the two of them, with Tilda's alienness entirely conveyed by her affect (and the extravagant costume changes she manages to effect between scenes, even in these circumstances). She has been designed to present a non-threatening facade to Earthlings (her name - spoiler! - is 'Friendship'), so there's also interesting stuff in there about the psychology of trust. Of course, there's always the very real possibility that she's not what she claims to be. How could she be?

Here's a terrible quality YouTube extract of one scene - Tilda riffing on Charlie Parker and Edgard Varese. The 'typewriter' comment at the end refers to an earlier exchange in which Tilda chastised her host for hammering the keys, since she, as a machine, felt more empathy for the device than she did for him.

I think this used to be available on VHS, but it's long overdue for rediscovery. As Swinton's first leading role (I believe), there must be at least a modest market for it.

[Guido]

For those who haven't noticed, The Invisible Frame can watched (for free!) over at the Auteurs:
http://www.theauteurs.com/films/21497