This-That (1989)

This-That is an intriguing student flick made in 1989 with B-movie production values and A (for art-house) ambitions. It's a fictional drama about life at the Univeristy of Warwick from the perspective of an alienated student and weaves in political and mythological layers.  
The film was the vision of Jakub Barua. He wrote the screenplay, operated the camera and shouted cut to the sliced onion under my cheek (tear-jerking). This was his first film and propelled him to Lodz film school and acclaim as a film artist. I was a slow burner. 
At the time, Jakub and I were third year film and literature students and probably slightly frustrated by the academic nature of our studies. We didn't care about final exams as the "end of history" was unfolding around us: the Solidarity movement in Poland was chipping away at the Soviet bloc and in China, pro democracy demonstrators, were clashing with military forces in Tiananmen Square. Little did we know that Maggie was quietly introducing the Poll Tax at home. 
Although the film might not have the intellectual maturity to deal with its themes, it still packs a visual punch.
Interesting fact. The animated sequence in the film about Daedulus flying too close to the sun, was shot by the site security guard, John Russell. His 8mm animated film arrived from the lab on the day of the film's premiere and could not be included. This explains why it subsequently featured as a coda following the end credits. 
The University of Warwick is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015. It would be great to screen This-That as part of the planned events. The film has not been seen in decades and is showing its age. The colour palette on the VHS master has faded, especially noticeable in the landscape shots. Pity as Warwick is a stunning rural campus. In addition to digital restoration, a re-edit would not go amiss. The film clocks in at the fifty minute mark and is definitely self-indulgent in places. 
Mr Barua - would you consent to a restoration and scissor job? 
For the record, we scrambled through our degree and I thank Moby Dick (the book) for my upper second.
At Warwick we cut our teeth on film and I have fond, challenging memories of that sterling academic team: V.F. Perkins auteur analysis of Nicholas Ray; Richard Dyer and his vibrant appraisal of Fellini; ; Charlotte Brunsdon scaring the semiotics out of Vampyre; and Ginette Vincendeau elegantly introducing us to Hollywood and European cinema.