Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes
Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes — a cinematic portrait of the legendary musical innovator Delia Derbyshire — is written and directed by Caroline Catz (pictured), who also performs the lead role.
The film takes a conceptual and atmospheric journey into the legacy and character of electronic music composer/sound pioneer Delia Derbyshire who, in 1963, conceived one of the most familiar compositions in science fiction, the Doctor Who TV-series theme, while working at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes expands upon the idea that Derbyshire was an extraordinary artist who lived outside of time and space as other people experience it and her soundscapes seemed connected to another realm. The film’s playful, psychedelic mix utilises archival materials and interviews with Delia’s colleagues and collaborators alongside dramatisations and Cosey Fanni Tutti’s psycho-sonic channeling with inventive juxtapositions that mirror the famously eccentric BBC Radiophonic Workshop arranger/composer's own unorthodox and questing spirit.
“The journey of working on this film and developing it over the years has really focused my thinking about how I wanted to tell Delia’s story,” explains Catz. “Rather than make a simply linear biopic, I wanted to probe themes that seemed to be present in Delia’s life, and Delia’s poetic collages of atmospheric soundscapes appear to be intriguing expressions of her inner life. The resulting film is a portrait of Delia filtered through a mix of observation and imagination, with the premise that no single perspective would be sufficient to gain a true understanding of her, replacing the rigidity of a biopic style with something more mysterious and lyrical.”
“I’m fascinated by Delia Derbyshire, her music and her legacy, and the fact that she introduced avant-garde electronic sounds to a whole generation through the medium of a teatime television show — that’s really what inspired the whole idea for the film."
Delia’s own musical creations are featured alongside a soundtrack by musician/performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey, Carter Tutti Void), constructed from samples chosen by Cosey and Catz from Delia’s posthumously discovered “Attic Tapes”.
Acting Credits: After graduating from RADA, Caroline has worked extensively in television, theatre, film and radio. She is best known for her leading television roles most recently in the series Doc Martin (ITV) and I Want My Wife Back (BBC1), McDonald and Dodds, and DCI Banks. Catz’s recent film credits include In Fabric, I, Anna, and Radio Mania: An Abandoned Work.
Written/Directed and Starring Caroline Catz. Soundtrack: Cosey Fanni Tutti who plays herself.
Available on BFI Player: Link to Tickets Here
Limited Showing: 18:30 BST Thursday 15th Oct 2020 until 18:30 BST Sunday 18th Oct 2020.
