Lunatic
16mm film 2:40 mins, b&w, no sound
2019
On the eve of a lunar eclipse I went to Hornsey Lane bridge with the aim of filming the moonrise, only to discover high anti-climb railings had recently been installed. Through the mesh I could still make out a direct line down the old Roman road. I left the bridge that night and went back to my flat next to a railway arch. I strung an extension cord through the kitchen window and plugged in my seasonal adjustment disorder (SAD) lamp. I did not have much faith in its healing capacity, especially in the middle of July, but I liked its lunar face. I set up the lens to its maximum aperture then satellite out, holding the lamp until the camera's wind runs out. I need to tug on the power cord occasionally and I am slightly concerned about it dragging on the dewy grass. Trains pass overhead and I’m sure some faces in the illuminated windows look down on me for a split second, watching me carry my lamp, eclipsing myself in the small garden. Andrei in Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia takes 9 mins to cross the empty pool without letting his candle extinguish. I only have one roll of film, 2 mins 40 seconds, to work with. I cross the garden seven times.