Marc Isaacs' Cult Short Film 'Lift' Returns as Photo Book 25 Years Later
Marc Isaacs has compiled 82 stills from his 2001 short film 'Lift' into a limited-edition book of 100 hand-numbered copies, each signed and introduced by a three-column poem. The film, shot over two months in the elevator of Denning Point tower block in Tower Hamlets, London, captured residents' confessions and daily interactions, earning a BAFTA nomination in 2001. Isaacs, who initially pitched the idea to Channel 4's Alt TV strand after a rejected proposal, enlisted researcher Andrew Hinton to survey tenants. Key characters include Lily, an elderly Jewish matriarch, and Peter, who recalls seeing a golden eagle. The film's candid interviews predate today's curated social media personas, as Isaacs notes that people now 'mediate themselves' and speak an 'Instagram language.' His latest film, 'Synthetic Sincerity,' premiering at Sheffield Doc Fest in June, uses AI to train on 'Lift' characters. Pre-orders for the book are open now.
Key facts
- Marc Isaacs' short film 'Lift' premiered in August 2001.
- The film was nominated for a BAFTA in 2001.
- Isaacs spent two months filming in the elevator of Denning Point tower block.
- The book contains 82 stills from the film, limited to 100 hand-numbered copies.
- The book includes a three-column poem by Isaacs covering three time periods.
- Isaacs' latest film 'Synthetic Sincerity' premieres at Sheffield Doc Fest in June.
- The film features characters like Lily, an elderly Jewish woman, and Peter, who saw a golden eagle.
- Isaacs notes that today's social media culture makes a similar film impossible.
Entities
Artists
- Marc Isaacs
- Andrew Hinton
- Paweł Pawlikowski
Institutions
- Channel 4
- Alt TV
- BAFTA
- Sheffield Doc Fest
- Starbucks
- Mr. Coffee
- YouTube
- The Guardian
- Financial Times
- New York Times
- Wallpaper*
Locations
- Denning Point
- Tower Hamlets
- London
- United Kingdom
- Leytonstone
- Brick Lane