TATTOO
2001 / 9 minutes / b & w
Trees, insects and birds look-on as the countryside is invaded by a lost regiment of soldiers engaged in a repetitive display. The senseless beauty of military drill dwarfed by the landscape.
The soldiers and Band of the Light Division, filmed on Salisbury Plane.
Music for military-band scored for the film by Graeme Miller.
Camera
Nic Knowland
Editor
Philippe Kotlarski
Music
Graeme Miller
Production:
MJW Productions
Co-commissioned by
Arts Council England & BBC
Awards
Grand Prix International Video-Danse, nomination 2002, Saint Etienne
Reviews
The film extracts a dimension that is poetic, formal and choreographic from a material as apparently antithetical to ‘dance’ as is military drill. Sober and restrained, its formal economy is underlined by the use of black and white, by humour, and the treatment of image and sound. (…) Jury statement, 11ème Grand Prix International Vidéo Danse, Saint-Etienne, 2002.
“…Miranda Pennell’s beautiful short Tattoo, features soldiers marching in unison. Filming on a wide open expanse of land and evincing a brilliant use of light and shadow, Pennell perfectly captures the severe conformity and geometric precision of the regiment.”
Glenn Sumi, NOW, ‘Movin’ On Up’ festival preview ‘Moving Pictures’
October 2002, Toronto
“Tattoo (UK) is a gem of military movement and body language, wittily filmed and edited”
Jill Sykes, “Diversity of dance on the big screen”
Reeldance festival at Sydney Opera House Studio, August 2002 |