The Mesmerist: An interview with Bill Morrison

Bill Morrison's most recent feature film, 'Dawson City: Frozen Time' (2016) is an astonishing look at the history of early cinema, and of North America in the early 20th century, told almost entirely with footage found buried in the former gold-mining town. But it is the product of a 25-year film career in which Morrison has built a distinctive way of telling stories using archive film, often in states of decay, and contemporary music. This week, Juliet talks to Morrison about his practice, from his time at film school to the present. SELECTED REFERENCES WORKS BY BILL MORRISON Full filmography: http://billmorrisonfilm.com/bio-filmography The Film of Her (1996) - http://sensesofcinema.com/2006/the-films-of-bill-morrison/morrison-film-of-her/ Decasia (2002) - https://bombmagazine.org/articles/bill-morrisons-decasia-the-state-of-decay/ Who by Water (2007) - https://vimeo.com/48669901 Spark of Being (2010) - https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/spark-of-being-1117946734/ The Miners' Hymns (2011) - https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/16/the-miners-hymns-barbican-review-morrison-johansson The Great Flood (2013) - https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/american-refugees-bill-morrison-s-great-flood Beyond Zero: 1914-1918 (2014) - https://vimeo.com/125601994 Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) - https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2018/08/16/dawson-city-after-gold-rush/ Robert Breer - https://lightcone.org/en/filmmaker-37-robert-breer The Clock (dir. Christian Marclay, 2010) - https://frieze.com/article/about-time-christian-marclays-clock-receives-its-tate-modern-premiere Gustav Deutsch & Peter Tscherkassky - https://www.closeupfilmcentre.com/library/essay/24-frames-a-second Fantasia (dir. Various, 1940) Flesh for Frankenstein (dir. Paul Morrissey, 1973) Frankenstein (dir. J. Searle Dawley, 1910) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-fM9meqfQ4 Frankenstein (dir. James Whale, 1931) Michael Gordon (Bang on a Can) The Green Fog (dir. Guy Maddin, 2017) - https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/green-fog-guy-maddin-giddy-san-francisco-vertigo-remake La Jetée (dir. Chris Marker, 1962) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLfXCkFQtXw Jóhann Jóhansson Peter Kubelka - https://www.filmcomment.com/article/peter-kubelka-frame-by-frame-antiphon-adebar-arnulf-rainer/ Saved from the Titanic (dir. Étienne Arnaud, 1912, lost) MARY SHELLEY, Frankenstein (1818) Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son (dir. Ken Jacobs, 1969) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDYzi_qIYdc You Will Be Free (dir. Juliet Jacques, 2017) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=288L2CRNfZU Young Frankenstein (dir. Mel Brooks, 1974) Toute la mémoire du monde (dir. Alain Resnais, 1956) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0RVSZ_yDjs