In 1988 I was asked by the Berlin TV to contribute to a series of short films made by foreigners called “Views from Outside”. My film was “Cycling The Frame”. Tilda Swinton ‘performed’ as the cyclist who followed the 160 km Berlin Wall, beginning and ending at the Brandenburg Gate. Simon Fisher Turner cycled with me while I selected shooting locations along the Wall and collected sounds which were later re-worked to create a Soundwall, as well as taping Tilda’s fleeting reflections and ruminations after we finished shooting. One year later the prophetic moment when Tilda’s hand caresses a sticker on the Wall that reads “Berlin will be Wall-free” was realised when East Germans streamed into West Berlin on November 9th.
Cynthia Beatt
Born in Jamaica. Lived in Jamaica and the Fiji Islands for twenty years. Art Academy in England, followed by journeys in the Middle East, Iran, Afghanistan and India. Based in Berlin since 1975.
