A Call to Arms 1989

Directed by Cordelia Swann

A woman dressed in armour sleeps on the floor of a dark, sunlit room. As she sleeps dreams and memoires unravel in her head. In the final light of day she wakes herself and prepares for ‘battle’… A Call to Arms is an allegory of the emotional and practical struggles of the artist. It also aims to overcome this turmoil with a new mythopoetic legend, differing in purpose and conclusion from those traditionally offered. It pillages a number of tales and images of conflict which form part of our collective memory, and challenges these by placing women as central and powerful figures. Pageantry, flourishing banners and other emblems of war persist but an unusual serenity and poise underlies these suggestions of aggression and battle.