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Friendship's Death

Berlinale Special – Honorary Golden Bear 2025
© Courtesy of BFI Distribution
The android “Friendship” has been sent to Earth on a peacekeeping mission. On her way to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she inadvertently lands in Amman, Jordan. It is 1970 and the country is being torn apart by the “Black September” civil war. A journalist named Sullivan ushers Friendship to safety and they barricade themselves into a hotel. As the conflict rages outside, the two enter into a series of fascinating conversations about mortality, technology and the nature of warfare. Tilda Swinton gives a captivating early-career performance as Friendship. Together, the android and the wry, world-weary Sullivan tackle the question: Is humankind worth saving? Peter Wollen’s only solo feature film is a witty exploration of the relationship between man and machine that feels remarkably relevant today. The 4K remastering is based on the original 16mm colour negative; the audio track has been digitised directly from the original 35mm magnetic master track of the final mix. This restoration was undertaken by the Film Conservation Team at the British Film Institute in collaboration with the film’s producer, Rebecca O’Brien, and cinematographer, Witold Stok.
by Peter Wollen (Director, Screenplay)
with Tilda Swinton, Patrick Bauchau, Bill Paterson United Kingdom 1987 English 75' Colour

With

  • Tilda Swinton (Friendship)
  • Patrick Bauchau (Kubler)
  • Bill Paterson (Sullivan)

Crew

Director Peter Wollen
Screenplay Peter Wollen
Cinematography Witold Stok
Editing Robert Hargreaves
Music Barrington Pheloung
Production Design Gemma Jackson, Denise Rubens
Producer Rebecca O'Brien
Executive Producer Colin MacCabe

Produced by

Modelmark

Additional information

4K DCP: British Film Institute, London, UK

Photos

Peter Wollen

The filmmaker (1938–2019) studied English and then worked as a political journalist and film theorist. His book “Signs and Meaning in the Cinema”, first published in 1969, had a defining influence on the discipline of film studies. He was co-writer of Antonioni’s Professione: Reporter and made his own film debut in 1974 with Queen of the Amazons, the first of six films co-written and co-directed with his wife Laura Mulvey. Their best known collaboration remains Riddles of the Sphinx. His film Friendship’s Death, which screened in the 1988 Forum, was his only feature as a solo director.

Filmography

1974 Penthesilea: Queen of the Amazons; co-director: Laura Mulvey 1977 Riddles of the Sphinx; co-director: Laura Mulvey 1979 Amy; co-director: Laura Mulvey; short film 1980 Godard 1980; co-directors: Jon Jost, Don Ranvaud; short film 1982 Chrystal Gazing; co-director: Laura Mulvey 1983 The Bad Sister; co-director: Laura Mulvey; TV film · Frida Kahlo & Tina Modotti; co-director: Laura Mulvey; short film 1987 Friendship’s Death

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2025