Reviews...
Time after Time ~ more reviews
Pathways Within
Leslie Palacio, Editor of Pathways Within Magazine
"This edition's spotlight is an exciting new film titled "Time After Time." With a wonderful blend of stiring music and moving images, this film presents a new view of the world around us. It is the culmination of three years of passionate work by Mairéid Sullivan and Ben Kettlewell and is a self funded, independent production. Thoughts while viewing...This film powerfully sets the rhythm of time in a beautiful way. Beginning with the heartbeat of the galaxy and creation moving rapidly across space. It transports you across time bringing you to Ireland and the beautiful Cliffs of Mohar. The legends of the faeries are intertwined with fantastic scenes of Ireland scrolling by. There is a feeling of fond remembrance as moss covered stones and crosses stand silently marking time.
Wind filled sails on ships float you across to the Americas and you find yourself in the land of native legend. Old hymns such as "In the Garden" ring out as flowers greet you and transition to old churches then fade to dirt roads that lead you home.
Looking back at faces from the 1800's, both Native and white at the time of the opening of the west, brings deep emotion and causes one to ponder from the landscape and the images, just how much has changed and how far the human race has come knowing some things have been lost while others gained.
From the east coast moving west through the Bad Lands and peeking into the cliff dwellings leaving you wondering what stories they hold and how much love, fear, dreams and hope were born there.
Down the Rio Grand flowing into desert scapes while the words of Chief Seattle and Chief Joseph ringing out across time, reminding us that we belong to the Earth and we are all connected.
Again the drums kick in as the universal heartbeat moves us across continents to the Aborigine and Australia. Ceremonial painted faces blend with the stars. The symmetry and similarity is breathtaking. The nebulas and the galaxies reminding me of tissues and cells in the body. Yes, very much the heavenly body and one feels as though they were treated to an incredible trip across time. Nothing like standing in a time stream with the word linear removed.
It left me pondering what images might scroll by for the seventh generation and I had a feeling of deep respect for All That Is, no matter where in time we stumble across it."
"This film is about the cosmic heartbeat and our memory of the universe."
Jim Bridges, Australian filmmaker
"It is made up of hundreds and thousands of separate images collected from three countries, Ireland, North America and Australia. Collectively, these images tell the story of our universe …primordial history to the present echoing out into space…where the biggest metaphor of all time awaits us.
This movie, made by two musicians and painters, comes from a lifetime of accumulated experience in presenting heartfelt music, predominantly in these three countries. From beginning to end, this film comes straight from the heart.
The film captures and illustrates the rhythms of nature over time and space, beginning in a nebulous galaxy, then spins a tale of earth, sun and moon and how they and we progress.
This film shows us that nature illustrates the proof that giants and fairies existed andstill do. It shows that people took their direction from nature and prospered. When man began to dominate nature with his new religions and beliefs, the earth sufferered along with its inhabitants.
The film squarely puts mankind into its rightful place, in this biggest of big pictures.
Left to right, right to left, double and triple exposures penetrate our consciousness and propel the narrative along. In a collision of imagery, new and wonderful sparkling images fly off the screen giving us cinematic magic, fairy or otherwise.Imagery of ancient Celtic architecture, sculptures and statuary and Celtic knot patterns -- swirling vessels of circular vibrations, show how early man celebrated life, representing a culture in balance until new and more dominating religions and political empires came along to push out the old ways.
Mirrored landscapes float over waves that pound out the history of time moving on.
The colours of the Irish flag come together, closing the curtains on their past as they set off in the coffin ships to the New World of America.The moon becomes a transitional device as the Atlantic is crossed.
The moon then becomes an Indian Dreamcatcher, its feathered earrings bringing down the curtain of time on the Native American people, as it opens up new horizons for early settlers in the Promised Land.
The vast landscapes of America promise peace In The Garden for seekers of respite from religious persecution while, at the same time, European feudalism istransplanted in the New World.
Photos of Indians impress us with their beautiful dignity, leaving us all with a trail of tears.
America is traversed: Pueblo houses rise up out of the mountains. Monument Valley peaks and cactus point to their maker. The Rockies are climbed. Death Valley is crossed, and desert blossoms bloom as shadows of clouds drift across the Colorado River. Mist of water turns to surf-like clouds pushing up mountains as the narrative rolls on.
Indians possess the screen, soundtrack hastens a pony, trains and life have to move on leaving the old ways behind.
The world turns, a brand new land appears. Aboriginal imagery on rocks are lovingly explored, while children run through a freshly torched landscape. The land is on fire! … and so is our consciousness!
Native boys climb natural high diving boards and the notion that nature is the most positive of positive statements appears in our brains.
Sandstone paintings become stars then stardust.
Black and white children play in water, and an aboriginal voice reminds us that we are all one red blood!
Crab hunters explore an over exposed tropical mangrove. Timeless hunters and gatherers grace the screen in coloured dresses that also tell a timeless story as they wave in the wind. Kookaburras laugh and black crow eyes turn into stereo moons as sunsets and violin and guitar clear the skies.
God gets a guernsey through the clouds and sunset imagery slides us all into the cosmic back straight.
The moon looms up larger…we know we are about to leave the earth and the subtext of the film, to zoom out with a ratio of 50,000 to 1 zoom shot! Planets boil and swirling gasses of nebulous stardust combine in the biggest metaphor our brains can house!
Cosmic dust turns to Italian marble. As soundtrack sings “sanctuary”, colours diffuse and final credits roll … as this truly beautiful avant garde film, using traditional techniques like we have never seen on this scale before, reminds us of the biggest of all picture, -- us and the universe. You decide! Or has it already been decided, Time after Time."
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