Studio Bankside (1970)

When Derek Jarman first got interested in making films he started with a super 8 camera and filmed the things around him. This is one of those films and shows the place he lived and worked and many of his friends of the time.

It's interesting that so many of his earlier works were centered on the Butler's Wharf area where he was living at the time. That area has since been redeveloped and is now the domain of trendy galleries and million pound flats.

There is no strong narrative in this piece as with most Jarman works but already we begin to see that Jarman has an eye for capturing interesting images and editing them together in a compelling way.

This film may not be for the casual viewer but it is an interesting example of Jarman's earlier work for those true Jarman fans.