Bill Morrison is a director devoted to the lost films. His long-running filmography explores what often gets left behind. It’s a filmography of revival and preservation, with painstaking aesthetic attention paid to recovering films. This is a story about more than films. It’s about filling the gaps in our cinematic history. It’s about the intrinsic beauty of degrading nitrate film stocks and how that can all come to life, given just the right musical backing.
Morrison’s latest film, let me come in, is the subject of today’s discussion. Using recovered footage of the lost German silent film Pawns of Passion (1928), the short boldly asserts its themes of separation, connection, and discovery. Working with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang and the incredible soprano voice of Angel Blue, it’s a short film driven by the music.
In our interview, we’ll explore Morrison’s filmography, from the remarkable site favorite Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) to his new short, let me come in, premiering at the Turner Classic Movie festival.
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