BAFTA is currently hosting an impelling exhibition by celebrated photographer, Phil Fisk. For the Love of Film showcases specially commissioned work celebrating the process of filmmaking.
We spoke with Phil about his intimate look into the world of filmmaking, and the roles played by the people inside it.
Phil Fisk cuts to the realities of the unglamorous side of filmmaking; yet, there is a dreamlike quality to be found in each image. It is difficult to grasp the depth of every photograph and find their glitch without revisiting them. Fisk emphasises, “You need to see them on the walls […] you need to stand three feet from it and study it.”
Some of the photographs capture the subjects in their own habitats – Fisk shot the image of Jacqueline Abrahams in a personal work space because, in his words: “when she immerses herself in a project, that’s how she looks.”
The image of Keir Beck, a stunt performer for the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and Casino Royale was also shot in his place of work, and the sense of movement Fisk captured took over 150 shots. The rope was not superimposed, but continuously thrown by Beck to attain the perfect representation of him in motion.
Others, such as the Naomi Harris photograph, where she stands barefoot in a beach scene conveys the vulnerability an actor may feel when they have bared their soul to cameras and are then left alone. In particular, the David Oyelowo shot where he is reflected multiple times sitting against a mirror, draws viewers down the rabbit-hole of an artist’s internal reflection on their sense of self.
Terry Gilliam, Director. 12 Monkeys, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Brazil.
Fisk manipulates the feelings of viewers – some photographs which feel as though they were shot on location, were shot in a studio. Others, such as the shot of director Terry Gilliam sitting in wooden boat in the woods (above) may look superimposed, but Fisk assured us that they quite literally, “ dragged the boat into the woods.”
So whilst this exhibition is a behind-the-scenes look at the film making process, the smoke-and –mirrors integral to the industry can be found in each image. For The Love of Film is a must-see exhibition for anyone interested in the elements that make the film industry what it is today.
You can join Phil Fisk and journalist Tom Seymour as they discuss the exhibition on Saturday 30th January.
Click on this link for more information on the exhibtion and the other talks BAFTA is hosting this weekend: http://www.bafta.org/whats-on/for-the-love-of-film-exhibition
All tickets are free, but must be booked in advance.
