CYCLING THE FRAME
Synopsis
In 1988, Tilda Swinton toured round the Berlin Wall on a bicycle—starting and ending at the Brandenburg Gate—accompanied by filmmaker Cynthia Beatt. As Swinton travels through fields and historic neighborhoods, past lakes and massive concrete apartment buildings, the Wall is a constant presence.
Synopsis
In 1988, Tilda Swinton toured round the Berlin Wall on a bicycle—starting and ending at the Brandenburg Gate—accompanied by filmmaker Cynthia Beatt. As Swinton travels through fields and historic neighborhoods, past lakes and massive concrete apartment buildings, the Wall is a constant presence.
Our take
Cycling through 1980s Berlin, Tilda Swinton is a serene presence in Cynthia Beatt’s psychogeographical short, in which movement and stagnation collide. The juxtaposition of placid ponds and lush gardens against concrete buildings and border checks conjures the paradoxes that run alongside the Wall.