British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Ofelias Blomster

Alternative title
Ophelia’s Flowers
Synopsis
Experimental film. ‘In Per Kirkeby’s set with a blue backdrop beside a woodland lake Lene Adler Petersen pronounces Ophelia’s madness monologue from Hamlet, but she is constantly interrupted by the sound of two wooden blocks and has to start again: "There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance ..." The words thereby rapidly lose their meaning and our interest turns to the specific sounds emerging from Adler Petersen’s lips and the choreographed ways she touches her face. The film starts and ends classically with a zoom in from an establishing shot and a zoom out onto a concluding tableau in which Ophelia throws herself into the lake, but in between the film is experimental, with two cameras on tracks abiding by a carefully conceived but highly impenetrable system. The frame thus changes apparently according to signals from Leth, and occasionally the camera seems to track right off the set into the sylvan wilder’ [IMDb].
Language
Danish
Country
Denmark
Medium
Film
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Year of release
1968
Duration
7 mins

Credits

Director
Jorgen Leth
Cinematographer
Henning Camre; Ole John
Screenplay
Jorgen Leth; Ole John
Production Design
Per Kirkeby
Cast
Adler PetersenOphelia

Additional Details

Production type
Other
Plays
Hamlet
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Production Company

Name

Kortfilmradet

Name

Laterna Film A/S

Archive

Name

Danish Film Institute Archive & Cinematheque

Email
museum@dfi.dk
Web
http://dfi.dk External site opens in new window
Phone
+45-33-74-3409
Fax
+45-33-74-3599
Address
Gothersgade 55
DK-1123
Kobenhavn K.
Denmark

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