LET ENGLAND SHAKE

The creative collaboration between singer/songwriter, PJ Harvey, and renowned photojournalist, Seamus Murphy, for Harvey’s Let England Shake album is one that asks to be taken as a whole piece of work. Harvey’s music and lyrics visualized in Murphy’s short films for the twelve powerful and evocative songs that make up this latest album, tell a story of our time “in the dark places” where the residual pain of war resides. Dokufest is very proud to present a special screening of all twelve films at this year’s festival with the artists in attendance. 

In fulgent light, Murphy’s still and motion camera work wondrously captures the beauty of the land, and the coiled vitality of his subjects, creating powerful portraits of some of the faces that keep vigil over this “country built on bloodshed and battle.”  With every frame, he keeps impeccable time with his camera, enriching the resonant and perfect tones, timbres and rhythms of PJ Harvey’s songs of pain and healing transcendence.