Cinema Inferno

Quick, Andrew and Brooks, Pete and Galliano, John (2022) Cinema Inferno. [Performance]

Abstract

Cinema Inferno is a ground-breaking new show for Paris haute couture house Maison Margiela, based on an original concept by John Galliano, Maison Margiela creative director. Written and directed by Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks for Maison Margiela’s Artisanal 2022 collection this new work was presented on the official Paris Haute calendar and livestreamed by Sodium Films. In the illustrious surroundings of Palais de Chaillot, a unique collaboration unfolds. Around Maison Margiela’s stunning Artisanal collection, Quick and Brooks used their pioneering storytelling techniques, live performance and digital technologies, to deliver a dynamic new fusion of fashion, cinema and theatre Cinema Inferno has its roots in American road movies. A pair of desperate young lovers are on the run, driving across a mythical American landscape, pursued by a group of faceless gunslingers from a bygone era. As they drive across the desert into the burning sun, they seek shelter in an abandoned picture house, only to find themselves thrown into the celluloid worlds of the films on screen. As they fall though the violent landscapes of B movies, westerns, gothic horrors and road movies, we realise that there is no escape, and they are condemned by their crimes to be on the run for eternity. Cinema Inferno integrates live cameras and projection to create a film that is made on stage before the spectator’s eyes. The performers use found objects, miniature sets and giant screens to create a dynamic piece of live cinema.