In 1960, Brion Gysin invented the Dream Machine, a hypnotic light device with the power to induce hallucinations, drugless highs, and revolutionize human consciousness. It looks simple enough; a 100-watt light bulb, a motor, and a rotating cylinder with cutouts. Just sit in front of it, close your eyes, and wait for the visions to come. The Dream Machine enthralled mystics and freethinkers everywhere; Kurt Cobain had a dream machine, and William S. Burroughs thought it could be used to “storm the citadels of enlightenment.” With a custom-made Dream Machine in tow, director Nik Sheehan takes us on a journey into the life of Brion Gysin; his art, his complex ideas, and his friendships with some of the most eccentric counter-cultural icons. Taking the Dream Machine as the basis of its explorations, FLicKeR asks crucial questions about the nature of art and consciousness, and imagines a humanity liberated to explore its creativity in complete freedom.
Richard Metzger
as Self
Brion Gysin
as Self (archive footage)
William S. Burroughs
as Self
Genesis P-Orridge
as Self
Kenneth Anger
as Self
Iggy Pop
as Self
Marianne Faithfull
as Self
Marcus Boon
as Self
Udo Breger
as Self
Catherine Clément
as Self
Ira Cohen
as Self
Brett Despotovich
as Self
