The Amrican artist, Bill Morrison, has made a film from clips of historic British documentary films about trains. The film has a soundtrack of Steve Reich’s, Diferent Trains (1988).
The world premiere of this new film will be held at Edge Hill, Liverpool, later this year.
Morrison did something similar with film footage of the coal mining industry in Britain’s North East…the film is called, The Miners’ Hymns, and has music by Johann Johannson.
That was terrific. So, I have high-hopes for the new one.
Reich’s composition contrasts the railways of Europe and America during WW2. It’s a way of drawing attention to the terrible efficiency of the railway system and of how the timetable gave administrative and practical support to the extermination of millions.
Lars von Trier made a film about this same subject, called Europa (1991).
I shall look out for this