The Silence Before Bach (2007) / Mudanza (2008) (UK-import)
In these two works by the radical Catalan filmmaker Pere Portabella, music, art and architecture take a pivotal role in fragmenting and unravelling the substance of history to comment on our modern world. The acclaimed, surreal documentary The Silence Before Bach (Die Stille vor Bach) comprises a series of filmed vignettes, united by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Portabella's opulent reverie leads us through the centuries, investigating the profound, complex relationship between image and music. Mudanza quietly records the removal of furniture and objects from the home of poet Federico García Lorca, allowing visitors – and viewers - to move freely amongst its empty spaces, and to contemplate what is lost.