What:
ACMI First Look presents William S. Burroughs: A Man WithinWhere:
ACMI, Fed Square, Melbourne
When:
Thurs Sept 2 - Sun Sept 5
Watch the trailer:
Here
Win:
Thanks to ACMI, we have a dbl pass to the Sat Sept 4, 7pm screening! To enter, email win@threethousand.com.au with the subject 'I am getting so far out one day I won't come back at all.'Print Email Share
The broad strokes of William S. Burroughs' life read like headlines. Blue-blooded heir to an adding machine fortune. Dissolute junkie living on the run from the law in Mexico and Tangiers. One of the last authors to be tried in the US on the grounds of obscenity. Gun nut. Openly gay man in a time not renowned for tolerance. Killer of his common law-wife in a William Tell act gone awry. Father of a son who followed him into addiction, resulting in a tragically early death.
Director Yony Leyser, although addressing these events, portrays Burroughs largely outside the frame of pulp fiction prurience. Using archival material and interviews with people who were both acquainted with and influenced by Burroughs, the film develops a subtler portrait of the author than ordinary biography might allow. The list of interview subjects alone speaks to the importance of his work and legacy: John Waters, David Cronenberg, Iggie Pop, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Jello Biafra, to name a few.
Small moments and details often prove to be the most revealing. It's telling, for example, to witness his discomfort, despite how openly and unsparingly he rendered himself on the page, when lifelong friend Allen Ginsberg discusses sex. The film manages to successfully peer into the fascinating interstices between Burroughs the lauded, almost mythological, literary figure and Burroughs the damaged man.
By Kane Daniel
Format: Cinema
Genre: Documentary
Keywords: William Burroughs, ACMI
Australian Competitions Club
