About | Delia Derbyshire: The Myths And The Legendary Tapes

Written/Directed & Starring Caroline Catz

Produced by Andy Starke

Soundtrack: Cosey Fanni Tutti

Featuring Original Music by Delia Derbyshire

Following on from its acclaimed premiere at the BFI London Film Festival Oct 2020, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes makes its international premiere at SXSW 2021. The film will also be screened as part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and featured in Spring programming at the BBC on its Arena strand.

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes -- a cinematic portrait of the legendary musical innovator Delia Derbyshire -- is written and directed by Caroline Catz, who also performs the lead role. Catz’s directorial debut feature-length film, Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes is a conceptual and atmospheric journey into the legacy and character of electronic music composer/sound pioneer Delia Derbyshire, who, in 1963 conceived one of the most familiar compositions in science fiction, the Doctor Who theme, while working at the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop.

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes is a life story told through sound. Delia’s own musical creations are featured alongside a soundtrack by musician/performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle, Chris & Cosey, Carter Tutti Void), constructed from samples chosen by Cosey and Catz from Delia’s posthumously discovered “Attic Tapes”. Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes explores the fantasy of an otherworldly creative collaboration, an exchange of ideas between two unique and fascinating maverick female artists, traversing temporal and spiritual planes.

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes is produced by Andy Starke (Duke of Burgundy, In Fabric, The Greasy Strangler, A Field in England, Kill List, Free Fire, Sightseers) through Anti-Worlds, known for its slate of wild, entertaining and provocative films. Caroline and Andy have been developing this film together since 2014 and were thrilled when it was commissioned by the BBC for Arena by Mark Bell.

Though best known as an actor who has worked extensively in television, theatre, film and radio, Catz says her transition into filmmaking isn’t as much as a departure as it might seem: “People will be less familiar with the fact that I’ve directed two other films that are music related, Tapestry Goes West and A Message to The World, along with a short film about Delia that screened at BFI London film festival 2018.

“The films have a common theme, I think. I’m really interested in the idea of outsiders brushing against the mainstream of the dominant narrative of the time: people that are unsung, forgotten or uncredited, but that are also driven by a strong force of creativity in spite of that.

“I’m fascinated by Delia Derbyshire, her music and her legacy, and the fact that she introduced avant-garde electronic sounds to a whole generation through the medium of a teatime television show -- that’s really what inspired the whole idea for the film.

Delia Derbyshire: The Myths & The Legendary Tapes

Runtime: 98 minutes

Production company: Anti-Worlds

Writer/Director Credits: Caroline Catz

Tapestry Goes West / Message to The World / Delia Derbyshire The Myths & The Legendary Tapes 2018 (short).

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0146414/

Cast:

Caroline Catz

Julian Rhind-Tutt

Tom Meeten

Saskia Reeves

Richard Glover