Even for those familiar with Derek Jarman, the maverick painter, writer and filmmaker who died in 1994 of complications from AIDS, this moving collage of rare and unseen footage lovingly crafted by his fellow artist and friend Julien makes this film something of a revelation. Derek offers viewers a privileged sense of one of the great poetic directors of British cinema through extensive use of family home movies, scrapbooks and other recordings of his life, with narration from Tilda Swinton, Jarman’s close friend and collaborator. A cinematic love letter to the most crucial figures in British independent cinema.