Cycles

Cycles was made by sticking paper dots onto the surface of the film and to its optical sound track. The gaps between the dots gradually decrease until a fusion of the material occurs. The separate image-moments coalesce into a pulsating ball of light; simultaneously we hear rhythmic sounds fusing into a continuous rising drone. Like many of Sherwin’s films, Cycles explores the potential of optical sound film to produce a synaesthesic relationship between sound and image. *This film contains flickering images which may not be suitable for those with photosensitive epilepsy.*

Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative started life at Better Books, a counter-culture bookshop on Charing Cross Road, where a group led by poet Bob Cobbing and filmmakers Stephen Dwoskin and Jeff Keen met to screen films. Initially inspired by the activities of the New American Cinema Group in New York, the London Co-op grew into a pioneering organisation that incorporated a film workshop, cinema space and distribution office. During its four-decade history, the Co-op played a crucial role in establishing film as an art form in the UK and participated in a vibrant international film scene. This BFI Player collection brings together new scans of films distributed by and/or produced at the London Co-op.