Decasia

Bill Morrison’s debut feature is a mesmerising collage of old nitrate footage, in which the original imagery fights a continual battle against the marks of decay.

We’re not just talking about scratches and lines here; the focus is on the bizarre distortions and solarised effects that can affect nitrate film, creating a psychedelic journey which also serves as an elegy for celluloid, and for those depicted onscreen. Moving through a series of chapters from ‘creation’ to ‘rebirth’, this unearthly life/death-cycle is underscored by the work of contemporary composer Michael Gordon. Gordon also provides the music for preceding short film Light is Calling (2004, 8 mins).