Psymphony: A Film Season exploring the state of mind through sound and score.

Psymphony is an all-female director based season which focuses on how sound and score reflect states of mind in cinema. The season ran at the Genesis Cinema over a 2 week period at the end of November 2024 and consisted of four archive experimental short films from the 1950s and four modern features. Both shorts and features were thoughtfully matched together for each evening of Psymphony in order to create a unique experience and appreciation of the use of sound in filmmaking. To accompany the films I wrote an introduction to each film for further contextualisation of the season for the audiences. Further contextualisation was achieved on opening night of Psymphony, where I interviewed sound designer Paul Davies for a short Q+A before the screening of his film You Were Never Really Here (2018). This film season was aimed at an audience who would enjoy auditory experiences and film lovers of all ages.

The Programme:

Thursday 14th November
You Were Never Really Here (2018) Dir. Lynne Ramsay + Experimental Short Film:
The Leaden Echo and The Golden Echo (1955) dir. Margaret Tait
Q+A with Sound Designer Paul Davies + Introduction by Molly Freeman

Monday 18th November
Mustang (2015) Dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven + Experimental Short Film: Glimpse of the Garden (1957) Dir. Marie Menken
Introduction by Molly Freeman

Thursday 21st November
The Headless Woman (2008) Dir. Lucrecia Martel + Experimental Short Film: The Very Eye of Night Dir. Maya Deren (1952)
Introduction by Molly Freeman

Thursday 28th November
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014) Dir. Ana Lily Ampour + Experimental Short Film: Bridges Go Round (1958) Dir. Shirley Clarke
Introduction by Molly Freeman