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Inside the Head of Terry Gilliam

Art &
Culture

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Terry Gilliam, one of the most multifaceted, visionary talents alive, made an exclusive appearance at Royal Festival Hall, in conversation with BBC arts editor Will Gompertz.

Terry Gilliam is one of the most multifaceted, visionary talents alive. He first found fame as a member of Monty Python, the surreal comedy troupe that has had a cult following since its inception in 1969 right up to today. Had Gilliam stopped there, his artistic immortality would have been guaranteed. But over the decades his talent has rampaged across different genres – comedy, opera and above all cinema. He ranks among the tiny handful of film directors the world’s leading actors will drop everything for. Hollywood royalty including Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Uma Thurman and Johnny Depp have flocked to work on his masterpieces Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

In October 2015, Gilliam made an exclusive appearance at Royal Festival Hall, presented by Intelligence Squared and Southbank Centre. Joined on stage by BBC arts editor Will Gompertz, he took us on an immersive, multimedia journey through the many inspirations he has drawn on — from the Bible and Mad magazine to Grimm’s fairy tales and the films of Powell and Pressburger. Using images and film clips, Gilliam and Gompertz explored the diverse influences that have fused together in Gilliam’s imagination. What, they asked, does creativity thrive on, and how can it be fostered in all of our lives?

Featuring

  • Terry Gilliam

    Oscar-nominated director and Monty Python member

Chair

  • Will Gompertz

    Arts Editor of the BBC

Speakers

Chair

Will Gompertz

Arts Editor of the BBC

Arts Editor of the BBC. He is a world expert on Modern Art and has written about the arts for The Times and the Guardian for over 20 years. In 2009, he wrote and performed a sell-out one-man comedy show about modern art at the Edinburgh Festival. Voted one of the world’s top 50 creative thinkers by New York’s Creativity Magazine. He is the author of What Are You Looking At? 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye and Think Like An Artist…And Lead a More Creative, Productive Life.
Featuring

Terry Gilliam

Oscar-nominated director and Monty Python member

Oscar-nominated director, screenwriter, animator, actor, and member of Monty Python. His acclaimed films as a director include Brazil (1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), The Fisher King (1991), Twelve Monkeys (1995) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). He is ranked among the top film directors of the 20th century. His memoir, Gilliamesque, is published by Canongate on October 1.