Derek Jarman
British filmmaker and painter Derek Jarman was at the forefront of gay identity and activism, creating visual art that celebrated and challenged prevailing notions about love, sex, religion, politics, and art. Born in Middlesex, England in 1942, Jarman's father was in the Royal Air Force and the family moved frequently during his childhood. In 1960, Jarman attended King's College, London and then studied painting at the Slade School of Art until 1967. Jarman was an accomplished painter, and later designed sets for both ballet and opera. In the 1970s, he began experimenting with Super 8 mm film, creating a series of shorts. His first feature was Sebastiane (1976), a sexualized narrative of Saint Sebastian, spoken entirely in Latin. The following year he came out with Jubilee, a stark and punk rock infused view of Britain. During the 1980s, Jarman returned to the medium of Super 8 footage with Angelic Conversation (1985) and The Last of England (1987), the later based on his book of the same title. He also filmed music videos for Pet Shop Boys, The Smiths, and Marianne Faithfull. His biopic Caravaggio (1986), as well as the 1992 adaptation of Edward II, exposed Jarman to a wider audience. His last film, Blue (1993) presented a swath of blue screen with a meditative soundtrack composed by Simon Fisher Turner. Derek Jarman died of AIDS in 1994.
