Lion

A collection of short films exploring the Chernobyl disaster, the nature of radiation and personal history.

  • Director-Producer-Screenwriter Daniel McIntyre
  • Canada 2011-2014

A project spanning three years of production and research, Lion is a collection of seven short films exploring the Chernobyl disaster, the nature of radiation and personal history. Researched in Chernobyl, and created on 16mm and hand-processed with darkroom techniques that mimic the effects of radiation on film, the series is a product of memories, history, pop culture and technical experiments that create visual representations of invisible forces.

Michael Blyth (programme notes by Daniel McIntyre)

Daniel McIntyre will discuss his work following this screening.

Forever


Image gallery

Part dream, part documentary, Forever weaves history and hedonism to form a world of dandelions, hypnosis, bicycles and memory. A bricolage of pop culture and personal histories.

Water


Image gallery

With brilliant blue and black images from cross-processed 16mm, the film explores three Chernobyl divers who sacrificed their lives to drain a pool of radioactive hydrogen peroxide.

Sodium Lamp Study


Image gallery

Using an interview of a woman’s experience with radioactive ablation therapy for thyroid cancer, Sodium Lamp Study is a meditation on exposure, treatment, and the unseen emotional effects of radiation.

Cowboys and Iodine


Image gallery

A fever dream involving the masculine bravado and seldom-discussed gender shaming used to encourage men to volunteer as liquidators for the clean up of the Chernobyl disaster.

Cure


Image gallery

Using gently applied ‘radiation’ techniques to mimic the application of beauty cream, Cure documents a time when radiation was touted as a solution for beauty, power and perhaps even for a broken heart.

The Weight of Snow


Image gallery

The Weight of Snow travels from Canada to Chernobyl from the perspective of a young man exploring radiation in the midst of death, cancer and emotional turmoil.

Dust


Image gallery

A self-portrait in a moment one prefers to forget. Using techniques to erase portions of the image, the film is a mutating, disintegrating echo of the Biblical references in The Weight of Snow.

Total running time 49 min (+ artist’s talk)