Output details

An organisation of Dreams

Directed by McMullen, An Organisation of Dreams engages with philosophy and recent political events in Europe. Shot in Paris, Lisbon and London, the 100 minute film in French and English, was made with an international cast and crew that included Domineque Pinon, Julia Fauvre and John Shrapnel, and appearances by philosophers Bernard Stiegler and Oscar Guardiola-Rivera. First screened at the London Film Festival NFT, on 26 October 2009, it had its full world premiere at the Moscow International Film Festival on 19 June 2010, followed by a North American premiere at Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montreal, 13-15 October 2010.

This work in cinema is non-linear and explores open-ended themes largely latent in contemporary culture. The research content of this work involved extensive collaboration by McMullen with the French philosopher Bernard Stiegler (Centre Pompidou) and the French economist Professor Jacques Driencourt (Sorbonne). The resulting film is informed by Stiegler’s work on ‘Time and Cinema’ and his concepts about cultural imperialism, and Driencourt’s focus on the new digital economy. McMullen’s new production methods involved unique amalgams of digital and analogue photography. The 35 mm, high-definition film switches from black-and-white to colour, and includes footage shot on a cell phone. Each film chapter opens with a Shakespearean theme (for example, fathers, ghosts, murder and freedom), and tackles writing, psychoanalysis and philosophy in language that constantly refers back to the film and its concerns with the ability to dream or imagine.

Financed by Augustine Pictures; the production budget was £200,000. Facilities were contributed by the Centre Pompidou Paris, and Agency Hoffman, Paris, Tivolli, Lisbon, and Adam Finch, UK, and Off Line Editing Company, London.

Camera: Giorgos Arvanitis, Elso Roque; Production design Fleur Whitlock; Music Michael Nyman; Sound Tim Barker; Producer Mark Westaway. Language English, French

http://www.moscowfilmfestival.ru/miff35/eng/archives/?year=2010

Reviews: Moscow Today