The Afterlight

One print. One screening. A one-of-a-kind chance to reflect on the ephemeral nature of celluloid, even as you watch it deteriorate before your very eyes.

A truly unique cinematic experience, The Afterlight is a film designed to be lost to time. It exists as a single 35mm print, a living document of its own circulation that erodes every time it screens. Made up of fragments of hundreds of films from around the world, it features a cast of performers who are themselves no longer alive – an ensemble of ghostly figures that evokes the eerie twilight between life and death.

With his acclaimed shorts (Lasting Marks, Fish Story) and essay films (Fear Itself, MIFF 2016; Beyond Clueless), and his contribution to the boundary-pushing, real-time VR anthology A Machine for Viewing (originally slated for MIFF 2020), British director Charlie Shackleton has established himself as one of the most playful, inquisitive and formally daring nonfiction filmmakers working today. Extending an oeuvre that blends cheerful provocations with deeper explorations of personal and cinematic memory, The Afterlight questions the nature of permanence in an age of endless, disposable content.

“A mesmerising collage of moments drawn from the first half of film history, performed by actors who are now deceased, and a poignant reminder of the ephemeral power of cinema.” – BFI

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Director Charlie Shackleton will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A following both screenings.