GRAPHIC
Everyone I knew who was going to GRAPHIC - and a few who weren't - wanted to attend the Neil Gaiman reading. But The Arrival is my favourite Shaun Tan book, and possible my favourite graphic novel ever, so for me the must see event of the festival was Ben Walsh's Orkestra of the Underground performing a live score to projected images from the story.
Despite no one else I knew going, I didn't have to worry about being a nigel, because the Playhouse was packed. And! Shaun Tan introduced the performance. Which I was not expecting. He mentioned that it would be his first time watching it, so he would be experiencing it with the rest of us too. And! He sat in the empty seat in front of me. I resisted the urge to gush all over him about how much I love his work, because the lights dimmed, and the orchestra began to play.
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey to a mysterious country; a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown? This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to those who have made the journey.
Shaun Tan dedicated this book to his parents. It is also the story of my parents, and the story of my friends' parents. And in The Arrival, it is the story of one man who makes this journey to a bewildering and fantastical city, and all those who have made the journey before and after him.
The music was great, by turns sweeping, playful, dramatic, and moving. But the genius was how it was matched with the images from the book. The use of framing, zooming, and other techniques; a cascade of images for motion, or a lingering shot of a splash page for reflection: it added the dimension of time to the work and meant viewing it in a different space. More than once, I wondered whether Shaun Tan had drawn new images for this performance, but of course he hadn't, it was just that I was seeing the story in a new way. The experience was like watching a movie of the book. And it could not have worked so well had the book not been completely wordless.
I wish I could better describe it. I think I'd need a thousand words.
It got a standing ovation.
I missed out on Neil, but it was totally worth it.
Despite no one else I knew going, I didn't have to worry about being a nigel, because the Playhouse was packed. And! Shaun Tan introduced the performance. Which I was not expecting. He mentioned that it would be his first time watching it, so he would be experiencing it with the rest of us too. And! He sat in the empty seat in front of me. I resisted the urge to gush all over him about how much I love his work, because the lights dimmed, and the orchestra began to play.
What drives so many to leave everything behind and journey to a mysterious country; a place without family or friends, where everything is nameless and the future is unknown? This silent graphic novel is the story of every migrant, every refugee, every displaced person, and a tribute to those who have made the journey.
Shaun Tan dedicated this book to his parents. It is also the story of my parents, and the story of my friends' parents. And in The Arrival, it is the story of one man who makes this journey to a bewildering and fantastical city, and all those who have made the journey before and after him.
The music was great, by turns sweeping, playful, dramatic, and moving. But the genius was how it was matched with the images from the book. The use of framing, zooming, and other techniques; a cascade of images for motion, or a lingering shot of a splash page for reflection: it added the dimension of time to the work and meant viewing it in a different space. More than once, I wondered whether Shaun Tan had drawn new images for this performance, but of course he hadn't, it was just that I was seeing the story in a new way. The experience was like watching a movie of the book. And it could not have worked so well had the book not been completely wordless.
I wish I could better describe it. I think I'd need a thousand words.
It got a standing ovation.
I missed out on Neil, but it was totally worth it.