sleep furiously: Gideon Koppel interview

Gideon Koppel has used the stark rural landscape where he grew up as the basis for his study of a declining farming community. He talks to Film Network about his year observing the life of a community and the importance of shooting his debut feature on fi

Sleep Furiously was preceded by a glowing reputation even before its premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival in June, largely due to the enthusiastic patronage of two esteemed British critics/filmmakers (and former Moviedrome presenters) - Alex Cox and Mark Cousins.

Cox championed the film in Film Comment magazine, describing it as "visually remarkable", while Cousins declared it to be "pure cinema: visually alert, brilliantly musical, and moving".

Such glowing recommendations paved the way for the film's successful run on the British festival circuit, which continues with a screening at the Cambridge Film Festival in September.

That the film managed to generate such excitement, despite its ostensibly unglamorous-sounding subject matter, is a tribute to the quality of Gideon Koppel's debut feature.

Another beautifully composed image from the film.

The film documents the small farming community in mid-Wales where Koppel grew up, and its main theme is the degeneration of traditional rural communities and the impact of industrialisation on social harmony.

But if that makes it sound like a dry and sober case-study, the film surprises through its dedication to cinematic artistry.

Through his own cinematography Koppel emphasises the importance of landscape, both to the story and the community, and the imagery is hauntingly accompanied by a soundtrack from Aphex Twin - the first time Richard James has approved his music for an entire feature soundtrack.

In this video interview Gideon Koppel discusses his personal connection to the community, the challenges of forging a coherent narrative out of disparate ideas, and the different qualities offered by 35mm over high-definition video.

Sleep Furiously received its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2008 and plays at Cambridge on Saturday 20th and Monday 22nd September 2008.

Stephen Bailey, James Rocarols | Published 18 September 08