Tilda Swinton narrates this moving tribute and love letter to her friend, British filmmaker Derek Jarman, a pioneer of queer cinema. Jarman died of AIDS in 1994, but not before he left the world a collection of cinematic gems, from his 1976 film SEBASTIANE to EDWARD II (with Swinton) to BLUE, his last film, which consists of a single image of a blue screen.
At once an elegy, documentary, and meditation about an artistic legacy of enduring importance, DEREK eschews the usual “talking heads” of documentaries. Instead, Tilda Swinton, Jarman’s muse and constant collaborator, narrates the film by reading from a letter, while director Isaac Julien weaves together archival footage, home movies, and interviews with Jarman’s friends (including David Hockney and the Pet Shop Boys) to create a remarkable portrait of Jarman’s life and work. Derek Jarman himself discusses his youth, life, loves, and work. This is an original film for a truly original artist.