Lowell is regarded as America’s greatest poet of the post-war period. Literary critic lan Hamilton wrote the first biography to appear after his death in 1977 and this film looks at Lowell’s life and work through the process of his research. There are readings of his poems, together with contributions from intimate friends.
Kipling
Following a startling success with readings from St. Mark’s Gospel, the actor Alec McCowen played an extended one-man show at London’s Mermaid Theatre, portraying the writer Rudyard Kipling. Brian Clark, author of Whose life is it Anyway?, has interwoven Kipling’s fiction and poetry with his own writing to develop his portrait of this very private man. This film looks at a fascinating piece of theatre and at the complex and intriguing character of a great literary man.
Aboriginal Art
When the first Europeans sailed into Sydney Cove they disturbed at least forty thousand years of unique aboriginal culture and, in the sometimes violent clashes that followed, much of that culture was eclipsed and even destroyed. This film considers the work of four contemporary Aborigines who demonstrate that the rich visual and oral traditions of their people still flourish against all odds: writer Archie Weller, artist Trevor Nickolls, painter and carver Banduk Marika, and poet Kath Walker.
Mstislav Rostropovich
Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was indisputably a supreme master of his instrument. After leaving Russia in the mid-1970s, he established a distinguished double career as a performer and a conductor in the West. Filmed at Aldeburgh, when he was Festival director there, Rostropovich is seen rehearsing the Pears Britten Orchestra, performing works by Britten and Penderecki, and talking about his eventful life and his music.
Ed Mcbain
In 1954, Blackboard Jungle – the film of Evan Hunter’s book – scandalised America with its raw, provocative view of post-war adolescence. Hunter changed his name to Ed McBain and built a huge international reputation with his thrillers about New York’s 87th Precinct detective squad. In this programme he talks about his work and is followed on a night-time journey through his New York domain. Dramatised sequences from his books are also included.
Barry Tuckwell: Master of the Horn
The celebrated Australian horn player, Barry Tuckwell, traces how one of the earliest primitive instruments developed the form and sound it has today and became an important part of the symphony orchestra. Accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra, he is seen performing works by Telemann, Schumann, Beethoven, Britten and Mozart.
John le Carré
World-famous for his spy thrillers, Le Carré avoids publicity. In this rare television interview, he talks revealingly about his books and how they have been influenced by his childhood experiences and by his work for British intelligence. He focuses on his novel, The Little Drummer Girl. Le Carré reads from his books and the programme includes extracts from the film, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and the television series, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Ivo Pogorelich
Piano virtuoso Ivo Pogorelich stepped into the limelight when he was dropped from the finals of the 1980 Warsaw Chopin Competition amid a controversy about his unsuitable dress and unconventional interpretation. Pogorelich has remained in demand on the concert platform and fuelled his reputation as an enfant terrible by marrying his teacher, Alice Kezeradse – twenty years his senior. This programme shows them together, working on Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit and talking in interview.
David Hockney
Hockney, one of Britain’s most successful contemporary artists, took a break from painting early in the 1980s to experiment with photography. He created ‘Joiner’ photographs – montages of prints showing subjects from many different angles and at different times. Filmed at his Los Angeles home, Hockney is seen creating one of these photo-pieces, from the initial idea through to the finishing touches. He talks about his interest in photography and its effect on his paintings.