Radio On

“Christopher Petit’s cult classic *i* *Radio On* */i* is one of the most remarkable feature film debuts in British cinema – a haunting blend of a mysterious crime story and an existential road movie, peppered with eerie impressions of the English countryside and the ruthless Thatcher era. Filmed in breathtaking black-and-white by Wim Wenders’ camera assistant Martin Schäfer, Radio On follows a London DJ as he drives eastwards towards Bristol to investigate his brother’s death – accompanied by a rousing New Wave soundtrack featuring David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Lene Lovich, Ian Dury, Robert Fripp and Devo, and featuring an early film appearance by Sting.” (The Belcourt)

‘I was far less interested in characters, relationships and class – all the usual themes of English cinema – than in the weather, landscapes and soundtracks, or the fact that driving and cinema are both forms of moving forwards. It was the era of the portable cassette player, which for the first time allowed you to create your own soundtracks and play them whilst driving: the windscreen as a cinema.” (Christopher Petit, in an interview with the BFI)