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Time after Time ~ more reviews

Time after Time, a film shot in Ireland, North America and Australia that celebrates the great heritage of ancient Celtic, American and Australian peoples. Time after Time is beautifully shot, its style comparable to other films found on this website. Yet Time after Time has its own theme and style.

Time after Time is a film that highlights the great beauty and diversity of the landscapes and peoples of Ireland, North America and Australia. The colourful landscapes of each of the countries is captured magnificently in Time after time. The richness of colours gives a wonderful feel to the film.

The soundtrack for Time after Time has the presence of the human voice. Poems and songs accompany the diverse music of the film. Although not scripted dialog or narration I found the presence of a voice unusual at first. However I soon found the initial poem adding to the mood.

After an introduction the film has a chapter for each of the countries shown in the film. The beautiful coastline and woods of Ireland make a beautiful subject. Watching the images in Time after Time gives me a great sensation as they remind me of my own Celtic homeland of Cornwall, England. Most images are of the Ireland most people are familiar with, yet many images show a side perhaps we don't know. The Celtic poems and songs add greatly to the mood. The underwater images suggest a great diversity to the filmmakers techniques. The image of Celtic symbols give a real sense of history.

Time after Time has a change of mood as the film continues onto North America. The beautiful winter landscapes are captured so well a chill fills the air. Time after Time is also warming with the shots of the sun drenched inner heartland of North America. There are shots of paintings from Native American tribes now gone. I felt a similar feeling to that experienced from many scenes in Baraka.

Time after Time ends with Australia. The vast and diverse land and its people are captured. This is one of the best insights into Aboriginal life I have seen, even having spent a year living in Australia. There are great scenes of Australia's bright and elegant wildlife.

Time after Time is a unique film. Its style is individual and yet familiar with many other films. The wildlife scenes as good as Microcosmos, and the capturing of people as good as Baraka. Time after Time's distinct soundtrack and content makes a great film.

Time after Time was created by Maireid Sullivan and Ben Kettlewell. I hope the pair make equally great films in the future.
Darren Lambert from SpiritofBaraka.com
http://www.spiritofbaraka.com/time-after-time.aspx#images

"This film is about the cosmic heartbeat and our memory of the universe.
It is made up of hundreds and thousands of separate images collected from three countries, Ireland, North America and Australia. Collectively, these images tell the story of our universe …primordial history to the present echoing out into space…where the biggest metaphor of all time awaits us.

This movie, made by two musicians and painters, comes from a lifetime of accumulated experience in presenting heartfelt music, predominantly in these three countries. From beginning to end, this film comes straight from the heart.

The film captures and illustrates the rhythms of nature over time and space, beginning in a nebulous galaxy, then spins a tale of earth, sun and moon and how they and we progress.

This film shows us that nature illustrates the proof that giants and fairies existed andstill do. It shows that people took their direction from nature and prospered. When man began to dominate nature with his new religions and beliefs, the earth sufferered along with its inhabitants.

The film squarely puts mankind into its rightful place, in this biggest of big pictures.

Left to right, right to left, double and triple exposures penetrate our consciousness and propel the narrative along. In a collision of imagery, new and wonderful sparkling images fly off the screen giving us cinematic magic, fairy or otherwise.Imagery of ancient Celtic architecture, sculptures and statuary and Celtic knot patterns -- swirling vessels of circular vibrations, show how early man celebrated life, representing a culture in balance until new and more dominating religions and political empires came along to push out the old ways.

Mirrored landscapes float over waves that pound out the history of time moving on.
The colours of the Irish flag come together, closing the curtains on their past as they set off in the coffin ships to the New World of America.The moon becomes a transitional device as the Atlantic is crossed.

The moon then becomes an Indian Dreamcatcher, its feathered earrings bringing down the curtain of time on the Native American people, as it opens up new horizons for early settlers in the Promised Land.

The vast landscapes of America promise peace In The Garden for seekers of respite from religious persecution while, at the same time, European feudalism istransplanted in the New World.

Photos of Indians impress us with their beautiful dignity, leaving us all with a trail of tears.

America is traversed: Pueblo houses rise up out of the mountains. Monument Valley peaks and cactus point to their maker. The Rockies are climbed. Death Valley is crossed, and desert blossoms bloom as shadows of clouds drift across the Colorado River. Mist of water turns to surf-like clouds pushing up mountains as the narrative rolls on.

Indians possess the screen, soundtrack hastens a pony, trains and life have to move on leaving the old ways behind.

The world turns, a brand new land appears. Aboriginal imagery on rocks are lovingly explored, while children run through a freshly torched landscape. The land is on fire! … and so is our consciousness!

Native boys climb natural high diving boards and the notion that nature is the most positive of positive statements appears in our brains.
Sandstone paintings become stars then stardust.

Black and white children play in water, and an aboriginal voice reminds us that we are all one red blood!

Crab hunters explore an over exposed tropical mangrove. Timeless hunters and gatherers grace the screen in coloured dresses that also tell a timeless story as they wave in the wind. Kookaburras laugh and black crow eyes turn into stereo moons as sunsets and violin and guitar clear the skies.

God gets a guernsey through the clouds and sunset imagery slides us all into the cosmic back straight.

The moon looms up larger…we know we are about to leave the earth and the subtext of the film, to zoom out with a ratio of 50,000 to 1 zoom shot! Planets boil and swirling gasses of nebulous stardust combine in the biggest metaphor our brains can house!

Cosmic dust turns to Italian marble. As soundtrack sings “sanctuary”, colours diffuse and final credits roll … as this truly beautiful avant garde film, using traditional techniques like we have never seen on this scale before, reminds us of the biggest of all picture, -- us and the universe. You decide! Or has it already been decided, Time after Time."
Jim Bridges, filmmaker

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