The current issue of excellent London art and music magazine Art&Music carries an article by Ikonand co-conspiritor Jamie Holman talking to and about Malcolm Whitehead and Jon Savage and their contributions to the recent Joy Division documentary, illustrated with a series of previously unpublished stills.

In 'From the End to the Beginning: The Joy Division Films', Holman focuses on 'Joy Division: A Film by Malcolm Whitehead'. Shot on Hannimex/Agfa 8mm film and interspersing Bowdon Vale Youth Club gig and JD rehearsal room footage with Malcolm's prescient political warnings of the British fascism to come, it became an integral part of the Joy Div doc. A "film within a film":

"A film in which Joy Division appear as themselves, or as us, or as we wanted to be, while outside Manchester looms, cold and decrepit, unrecognisable to the tourists on the Factory Records bus tour" (Jamie Holman).

"Well, a bloke rang me up from Berlin and, honestly, I was so innocent then I sent him the actual film. They played it and played it, god knows how many showings they did. Luckily i'd swamped it in film preserver and scratch resister" (Malcolm Whitehead).

"It captures the mood of impending doom, or, as Malcolm says in the documentary 'bad moon rising': Thatcher, Anderton etc." (Jon Savage).

Art&Music Issue 2 >> Summer 2008 is now available, free of charge, at selected London venues.

"...legal issues dictate that you will never see the film as it was originally intended".

Many thanks to Gemma at Art&Music, and Brian for the heads up.

Labels: Factory_Records, Joy_Division

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