To see and think the world as a totality has never been more crucial thanks to the present global environmental crisis. This three-part programme will bring together historical and contemporary films about ‘the world’ with the aim of exploring the divergences and continuities between audiovisual representations of the Earth past and present. From narratives of colonialism and internationalism through to end-of-the-world mythologies and the Anthropocene discourse, these films show that the history of cinema is inseparable from a quest to imagine the world as a totality.

Close-Up is thrilled to present the first European solo screening for the US artist Kelly Gallagher, comprising ten years of her moving image work across animation, live action and avant-garde collage. These two programmes offer an overview of a brilliant young artist who has demonstrated a mastery of technique, matched with a strong historical and political consciousness. Hers is a radical critique of the canon and the conservative patriarchy that structures and sustains it. Her stance is feminist, anti-imperialist and anti-racist.