Film "Eileen Gray Biography"

Outline Scenario

A low tracking shot finds us lost in a forest of headstones in the famous cemetry of Pere Lachaise in Paris. A soft rain caresses the etched name of Jim Morrisson, and stains the marble monument to Oscar Wilde. The titles roll as the camera seeks out lot number 17616, the resting place of Eileen Gray. The opening shot establishes a major theme in the film: searching to find Eileen Gray. In life she preferred seclusion and in our portr wishes are respected. For rather than detailing the chronology of events of her life, we seek to find the spirit of this remarkable woman in the designs, the architecture, the legacy she has left to the world.

A complex and interesting sound track combined with studio shots articles of her furniture provide mark the time in which the designs were made. The nostalgic moodiness of early jazz, the effervescence of Josephine Baker's singing, the alienation of Bauhaus experimentalism form part of the sounds which place her work in context. The sounds of horses on cobblest ones give way to war-time explosions, and as Eileen's work matures, we hear sounds of Sputnick, of the technological age.

The cinematic style provides strong reference to time and place. Cluttered busy shots bring us to the victorian house where Eileen was born. Soft focus with attention to colour and detail become important in showing the lacquerwork and Art Deco collection. The style becomes more sparse, with emphasis on vertical and horizontal lines, when dealing with her rationalist designs, somewhat like a Mondrian painting.

Interweaved with Eileen's work is historical footage and interviews conducted with her surviving niece, and with friends and admirers of her work.

Ultimately, we find Eileen Gray through experiencing her work; the fruits of her talent and determination.