Remembering Mark
SympathyMark has many friends, colleagues and extended community. We invite you to share your memories of Mark and time you spent together, music you listened to and more. He was a big character and has left an impression on many. Please feel free to share this link with anyone who knew Mark.
Very sad you’re gone. It’s been years but can still hear your laugh. Thought of you recently when Godspeed You Black Emperor was playing in a film. Your gift was chatting, engaging & dealing with anyone, all with wit & humor & infectious laughter. I recall Teo’s 8th? Bday party you asked him to let the other kids sometimes win. You knew your son was #1! but wanted everyone to have fun! This was your all inclusive nature, a quality I imagine is the backbone of your Spectacle work. You once gave me a Jeff Buckley CD from your side hustle & witnessed similar kind gestures.The last time I saw you was impromptu via Skype.You were very empathetic about something I underwent. I experienced you saying what it meant for me without saying it. Gosh, you had the gift of gab in every which way! My deepest sympathies, especially 4 Ilga & Teo. I hope you’re in another incredible garden, where you were most at peace, from the small one in Battersea to the grand one in Peckham.Goodbye kind man, Mark!
Last time all of Gorilla Tapes were with Mark last year. We all miss you.
A little photo I took in Finland, not knowing it would be my last photo of Mark. What a tragic loss. We'll miss you, Mark
I first met Mark when he turned up at one of our Exodus squat parties with a camera and a copy of 'Battle of Trafalgar' as his passport. There was no better passport because, unknown to Mark, we were in the film and had been inspired by watching it. Now the guy who made it was at the gate!
I went to the gate to bring him in, and there began a friendship, comradeship and relationship I'll value for all of my life.
Mark got a commission with C4 to make a film about our movement, our beliefs and the tribulations we were enduring at the hands of police and powerful, pissed off people.
This was activist filmmaking at its finest. The camera became part of our truth and rights artillery. Mark was with us when we cracked venues, stopped riots, linked us to INURA in Zurich, and so much more.
The films he made not only allowed us to put our case, they helped us dismantle the corrupt attempts to crush us.
We'll never forget you Mark. You are our brother and a true SoulJAH x ONE LOVE x
Mark messaged me on Monday as his flight home from Finland touched down, but is was Sunday morning I heard this terrible news, shocked and bewildered. Stefan just directed me here to read the collective response, much love to you all x
Mark in his studio, happy days
Dear Mark,
As soon as I got the terrible news that you had left us, hundreds of memories invaded my mind, and a lot of images of your wonderful smile, that used to calm me down, when I was in panic, as it transmitted serenity and strength, as it was the proof of a big conquer in a life that (due to the difficulties faced in the world of filmmaking and documentaries that you loved so much) was not a simple one. I especially remembered of when the house of a friend of mine in London (there was waiting for restauration) was squatted, and you generously offered your expertise for mediation…I was amazed by your help! In this moment I feel a huge void, and I cannot even imagine what Ilga, Teo and your closer friends are feeling when confronted with the daily absence of such a marvellous human being as you are. I leave here my last selfie with you in Malaga last year, as we shared the passion of being selfie-guys. You will always live in me, as in many other people who were so lucky to meet U
I am beyond saddened to hear this news about Mark. I first encountered Mark indirectly in 1998, seeing one of his films. Later we met in person, surprisingly finding we lived a 5-minute walk from each other, at the edges of Battersea. Mark was a friend and a colleague. He taught practical filmmaking at Birkbeck for several years (the image is from just before a class in 2017), and helped us acquire audiovisual equipment for use by students. Recently, Mark and me were planning to meet up. I was eager to hear his plans for new research and projects around Spectacle’s video archives. On Saturday, before I heard of Mark’s passing, I resolved that I really must get in touch. Now I have to come to terms with the fact that I won’t be hanging out with Mark again, hearing his kind thoughts and frequent witty observations. This makes me so sad. But more than anything, I am sad for Ilga and Teo, his wife and son, to whom I send my deepest condolences.