19 color photographs and 100 b/w photographs Derek Jarman's extraordinary cinematic achievement and his pivotal role in postwar English culture are at the heart of this pioneering study of an enigmatic figure who was both a major filmmaker and an artist, a gay activist and an English patriot. Michael O'Pray, who knew Jarman in the 80s, weaves together a compelling account of his life with illuminating analysis of his films, from the home movies through the pop videos to the acclaimed feature films including Caravaggio and Blue. Beginning with Jarman's family life and his early immersion in the British Pop art world, Michael O'Pray traces Jarman's emergence as an ambitious filmmaker who always challenged received categories, both political and aesthetic.