The Silver Tower
10 minutes 16 seconds
video
2015
The Silver Tower attempts to reconstruct, entirely from memory, the video ‘The Black Tower’ (1985-87) by John Smith.
The Silver Tower attempts to reconstruct, entirely from memory, the video ‘The Black Tower’ (1985-87) by John Smith.
In ‘The Black Tower’, the main protagonist becomes convinced that a black tower is following him around London. As his monologue progresses, he goes from uneasiness to breakdown - and eventually to a mysterious death. His interpretation of the seemingly banal images we see (the tower in different settings, like a housing estate, a prison, or a churchyard) plays with our emotions and with the language of film in a humorous and subtle way.
Drawing on fragmented recollections, personal experiences, and conversations with friends, ‘The Silver Tower’ attempts to repeat or mimic moments, words or images from John Smith’s seminal video work. It picks up from where John Smith’s video left off, with the voice of a woman who starts to narrate the same story from the beginning. Focusing on The Shard as an ubiquituous image in the London landscape, ‘The Silver Tower’ reflects on memory, subjectivity and the creative act in the process.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/218190902
Part of the programme of Les Rencontres Internationales, Paris | 12-17 January 2016