
THE MASQUE OF BLACKNESS
Hand Drawn Animation 12'45" (2018)
Epoh Beech's 'The Masque of Blackness' is a hand drawn animation re-imagining Ben Jonson's 1605 play 'The Masque of Blackness' and Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella 'Heart of Darkness'. Created over 7 years out of thousands of charcoal drawings, the animation weaves both texts together and explores the spirit of place to take you on a journey from the Niger Delta in West Africa to the Thames in London and the Rhine in Germany. It has themes of moonlight, oceans, rivers, the environment, unexplored territory and mythological symbolism. Our guides on the journey are Hermes, a grey seal, and Pegasus, the winged horse, they are both unconstrained by the straight jacket of time.
CREDITS
Drawn and Animated by Epoh Beech
Music by Esben Tjalve
Editing and Sound Design by Matthew Thomas
Compositing and Digital Animation by Matthew Thomas
Directed by Epoh Beech
Produced by Epoh Beech

REVIEWS
Melbourne International Animation Festival
"Don't miss Epoh Beech's hand drawn animation projected onto the National Theatre's flytower."
Totally Thames