Last and First Men

The all-knowing voice of Tilda Swinton guides us through an abandoned, otherworldly landscape devoid of humankind, with a plea sent back in time.

"Listen patiently. We, who are the last men, earnestly desire to communicate with you."

In Last and First Men, narrated with an unwavering command by Tilda Swinton and based on a 1930 science-fiction novel by Olaf Stapledon, a voice from the future sends a plea back in time. Filmed entirely in black and white on 16mm film at various locations across the Baltic states, eerie monuments emerging from the natural landscape dominate the screen.

Curator's Note

Last and First Men is the only film to be directed by Jóhann Jóhannsson. Originally conceived as a live multimedia performance, the work was only performed once before the director-composer sadly passed away in 2018. Since then, the work has been completed under the guidance of sound artist Yair Elazar Glotman, as a standalone film that premiered at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.

This remarkable work – the only fictitious feature in the Artificial Eye film program –asks its audience to imagine a world without a human eye to observe it. What future relics will we leave behind, and who will be there to see them?

With striking photography, grand visuals and a brilliant score, Last and First Men demands to be seen (and heard) on the big screen.