Five minutes of queer cinema poetry that'll wreck your entire afternoon.
Derek Jarman's interpretation of the aria 'Depuis le jour' from the final act of Gustave Charpentier's opera Louise (1900) features Aimée Delamain as an aging opera singer taking her final bow and recalling a love affair from her youth. As the aria goes: 'Et je tremble délicieusement au souvenir charmant du premier jour d'amour! (And I tremble deliciously at the delightful memory of the first day of love!)' – Her reveries feature Tilda Swinton and Spencer Leigh wandering around the topiaries of Swinton's family garden and at various seaside locations. The film was made for Aria (1987), the portmanteau project of producer Don Boyd who invited ten directors to create short films set to operatic arias of their choice. The particular performance used in Depuis le jour is by esteemed African-American soprano Leontyne Price.
Cinematography
Jarman's Super 8 haze makes grief look gorgeous
Direction
Swinton wandering gardens like a Pre-Raphaelite ghost
Director
Derek Jarman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Jarman's contribution to Aria (1987), a bizarre high-art experiment where ten directors including Godard and Ken Russell made shorts to opera. Jarman picked the only segment with a Black voice singing white European longing.
Tilda Swinton was Jarman's muse and collaborator for eight films; this garden is literally her family estate, making the memory layered with real intimacy.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
GB
