Filmmaker Bill Morrison specializes in artful reconstructions of ancient footage that's usually in a bad state of decay. The mere look of his films is captivating, with a dark, damp atmosphere that will be enhanced at tonight's L.A. premiere of The Miners' Hymns by the addition of Icelandic electronic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson's achingly gorgeous and slightly disturbing score. Piling and sculpting black-and-white footage from the early 1900s through the massive 1984 strikes, the film is an ode to the lost world of the Durham coalfields in northeastern England, honoring the political battles and bloody hard graft of the Durham coal miners, along with a look at the cultural milieu of the workers, including the city's tradition of coal miner brass bands and the Miners' Gala. A selection of Morrison's earlier shorts, including Outerborough (2005) and Release (2010), also will be screened, and Morrison will be in attendance.

Mon., April 23, 8:30 p.m., 2012

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