Derek Jarman: Super 8

The evocative selection of stills from pioneering filmmaker Derek Jarman's Super 8 shorts are beguilingly transposed in this coffee-table book. Considerable insight is offered into shorts lasting only a few minutes, particularly as Jarman is better known for feature-length pictures such as Sebastiane (1976), Caravaggio (1986), and Blue (1993). Accompanying essays, including a strong opening piece by MacKay, Jarman's producing partner, offer unique perspective on Jarman's attitudes and ever-evolving technique. MacKay and colorist Tom Russell later delve into the difficulties of preserving, transferring, and digitizing the delicate format. Such shrewd observations and technical details on the transfer process and results will be of particular interest to preservationists. However, more than a few contributions by contemporary artists, some of whom never met Jarman or only experienced his work peripherally, are tenuously linked, offering fleeting mentions of Jarman as inspiration or addressing their own dabbling in the Super 8 process.