Tomorrow afternoon The BBC are broadcasting what they describe as a "Film written for radio" called The Raft Of The Medusa. Before his death in 1994, the filmmaker Derek Jarman had written in his notebooks of his intention to create a film based on the painting of that name by Theodore that depicts mariners struggling on a raft at sea (see above).
The drama, written by Simon Armitage, will act as a soundtrack for a film directed by Richard Heslop that can be seen on the BBC Radio 4 website. Heslop, who previously worked as Jarman’s cinematographer, has stated that his film is as much influenced by Jarman’s love of painting and colour as it was Armitage’s script or the original work by Gericault. The music in the piece is provided by another past collaborator with Jarman, Simon Fisher Turner. The latter has put together a playlist of music intended to complement the broadcast here.
On working with Jarman, Turner has said "Derek I enjoyed messing with sound, and sampling and taking the long way round. He was far more knowledgeable than I, and this was always helpful." He continued to say that "He often let me get on with making the music and only heard the fished material at the dub. I have no idea why we worked together. I put it down to the forces: Tilda Swinton’s PA was in the army, Derek’s in the airforce, and my PA was in the navy. All bases covered, and I tended to say YES."
The broadcast will air Saturday 18th April at 2:30PM on BBC Radio 4.
