This film is currently unavailable
Key
A photograph of Nico is abstracted beyond recognition through a zoom.
Overview
In Key, Peter Gidal uses zoom and defocus to abstract a photograph of Warhol muse and 1960s icon, Nico, beyond recognition, addressing the materiality of the photographic image. Gidal, who frequently wrote on Andy Warhol’s work, was also one of the leading theoretical voices at the LFMC, coining the term “structural/materialist” film. Structural/materialist films are non-illusionist, drawing the viewer’s attention to the film material and the filmmaking process.
Founded in 1966, the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative (LFMC) 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.
Related
Focii Focii
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1975 9 mins Silent
A female dancer performs in front of what appears to be a wall of mirrors until her reflection takes on a life of its own.
Guerillere Talks Guerillere Talks
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1978 24 mins
Six film portraits of women associated with the punk music scene in 1970s New York.
Tea Leaf Tea Leaf
Documentary 1988 8 mins
An intimate account of frustration and disarray in 1980s Britain from the point of view of a young woman.
Spot the Microdot Spot the Microdot
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1969 8 mins
An unprintable film, handmade by punching holes into an opaque 16mm strip.
Emily (Third Party Speculation) Emily (Third Party Speculation)
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1979 62 mins
Filmed in a closed domestic environment, this film investigates the question of identification and point of view in cinema.
Blind White Duration Blind White Duration
Animation & Artists Moving Image 1968 13 mins Silent
Interaction between a blank white screen and filmed snow.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.
New Perspectives: Oldboy New Perspectives: Oldboy
Short documentary 2024 4 mins
Discover why Dan George of Northumbria University believes everyone should experience Oldboy at least once.