Retrospective: The Hypnotic Explorations of Peter Strickland

With feature films such as “Berberian Sound Studio” and “The Duke of Burgundy”, Peter Strickland has established himself as an adventurous director with a unique voice. The British Shorts Retrospective follows his journey as a filmmaker. From his early Super 8 works shot as a teenager to the experimental 16 mm shorts and music videos throughout his career, the programme explores the hypnotic worlds that he has captured on film.

Between God and Inspiration Lie Heaven and Hell (Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 08:44 Min.
Shot on Super 8 at Reading University, where Peter Strickland studied Fine Art, this early experimental short film saw him emulating the styles of iconic avant-garde filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage and Maya Deren.

Relapse (Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 04:50 Min.
At midnight on New Year's Eve 1993 going into 1994, this Super 8 film portrays Lina Simatou lying in bed with a fever, while experimenting with time-lapse techniques inspired by Derek Jarman.

Bubblegum (Commentary Version) (Drama, Comedy), D.: Peter Strickland, 13:51 Min.
A supermarket cashier in New York meets a conman pretending to be Elvis Presley. For this reference to New York's underground scene shot on 16 mm, Peter Strickland travelled to the USA and got the actress and Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn involved to play the leading role.

Conduct Phase (Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 08:15 Min.
A portrayal of a pack of stray dogs roaming around in Greece, this Super 8 work was originally conceived as a film installation and had been digitally recreated a few years later with the help of film editor Mátyás Fekete.

The Farewell Party (Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 04:54 Min.
This experimental sketch arose from a one-day film workshop and was shot on a single roll of 16 mm film, while already establishing the visual style that would be used in his films to follow.

Berberian Sound Studio (Vincent Version) (Comedy), D.: Peter Strickland, 01:18 Min.
The idea behind the feature film "Berberian Sound Studio" came to life in a competition entry for a Cobra Beer/ITV ident. It consists of ten short clips that could be shown prior to adverts in a television broadcast.

The KVB - Never Enough (Music Video), D.: Peter Strickland, 04:19 Min.
The music video for the Manchester cold-wave duo The KVB follows an idea for a dental nightmare that Peter Strickland originally developed for a feature film.

Cobblers' Lot (Fantasy, Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 14:01 Min.
A silent film adaptation, loosely based on the Hungarian folk tale "The Princess's Curse", in which two shoemaker brothers battle for the hand of a beautiful princess.

Cold Meridian (Experimental), D.: Peter Strickland, 07:04 Min.
A commissioned work from the London Short Film Festival for an ASMR night, this experimental short portrays the rituals of an online performer on grainy Super 8 and 16 mm film.

GUO - GUO4 (Music Video), D.: Peter Strickland, 03:22 Min.
A fight around a sports bag in the rundown locker room of a gym escalates in homoerotic ways. The music video follows the stylistic tropes of the Athletic Model Guild and was screened at the Venice Film Festival.

Blank Narcissus (Passion of the Swamp) (Drama, Comedy), D.: Peter Strickland, 12:09 Min.
An ageing porn director records a commentary track for the DVD of a kitschy 16 mm underground film that he directed back in 1972. Inspired by James Bidgood's queer classic "Pink Narcissus".

Buy tickets