About us

The Derek Jarman Lab is a place for people to think with film. In the spirit of the visionary filmmaker and artist Derek Jarman, we believe in picking up a camera as a primary mode of intellectual investigation.

We combine practice and research in making films and teaching. Informed by our academic backgrounds, we use filmmaking as a tool for exploring and communicating research. We also have a strong track record in making and producing films – our first feature documentary, The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger, premiered at the 2016 Berlinale and is now distributed worldwide. Our second feature essay film The Hexagonal Hive and a Mouse in a Maze premiered in Sheffield Doc/Fest and Telluride in 2025. It has screened at more than 15 festivals, winning two awards.

With the digital accessibility of film and video, it is easier than ever to produce audio-visual content. We build a critical framework for filmmaking to encourage our students to think carefully about their work, and use film to its fullest potential. For us, the essay film form invites the most inspiring approach.

The Derek Jarman Lab is part of Birkbeck’s Creative Practice Lab at the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, and is chaired by Colin MacCabe. We are also supported by the University of Pittsburgh.

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