Though it seems like Ann Clark is perpetually shrouded in a bit of melancholy loneliness in Claus Withopf‘s documentary, she is still a very approachable icon. Withopf followed the new wave pioneer for 10 years and shows a nuanced look into the work and creative world of the British musician and spoken word poet. Clark is open about her big clash with record company Virgin who supported her during a crisis at the start of her career, her difficult childhood with a mentally unstable mother, and her love for words, haikus, and Rilke. Language, communication, and poetry were always an escape for Clark during all of her life, an “inner need.“ The mix of spoken lyrics and minimalist electronic music was her calling card, “Our Darkness“ and “Sleeper in Metropolis“ are considered 80s classics.

Anne Clark is the only voice heard in the film. She goes back to her beginnings as an artist and visits her hometown London where she feels like an “alien.“ The biographical retrospective is often tied to Clark‘s lyrics and intertwined with fitting concert footage. Wilthop tries to give space to Clark‘s poetry in the images as well with graphics and experimental sequences. Clark‘s music lives off of the creative energy that is created in moments of passion rather than the desire for perfection. From this perspective, Withopf‘s portrait of a woman who grew up in a working-class household and bravely fought for her own artistic space in the late 70s seems very tame. But Clark‘s energy, her political beliefs, and her sensitivity speak for themselves and reminds one what it means to be upright.

Susanne Kim

Translation: Elinor Lewy