Gary Tarn is a British filmmaker, composer, and cinematographer born in London, England. Before entering the world of cinema, he was a member of the band Drum Theatre, which reached the top of the European charts in 1985 with the hit single *Eldorado*. The group released one album, *Everyman*, later reissued by Cherry Red Records in 2014.
After his time in music, Tarn built a successful career as a composer, creating soundtracks for commercials and short films, including the Brothers Quay’s *The Phantom Museum*. His passion for both sound and image led him to begin making films independently, combining his skills as a musician, cinematographer, and editor.
In 2005, Tarn released his debut feature *Black Sun*, an innovative documentary based on *Eclipse*, the memoir of French artist Hugues de Montalembert, who was permanently blinded in 1978. Tarn shot, edited, scored, produced, and directed the film himself, with Alfonso Cuarón as executive producer and John Battsek as producer. Narrated by de Montalembert, *Black Sun* premiered to critical acclaim, winning several international awards and earning Tarn a BAFTA nomination for the Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a British Director in their First Feature Film. The film was later broadcast on the BBC and HBO and ranked among Tim Robey’s top 100 films of the decade.
Tarn also worked as cinematographer for Alfonso Cuarón’s *The Possibility of Hope*, filmed on the set of *Children of Men* in 2007. His second feature, *The Prophet* (2011), is an adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s classic 1923 book. Narrated by British actress Thandie Newton, the film blends digital and 16mm footage across locations including London, Milan, New York, Belgrade, and Lebanon. It premiered at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival and was selected for major international festivals such as Hot Docs and DOXA.
Combining his background in music with a meditative visual style, Gary Tarn’s work stands out for its poetic tone, philosophical depth, and intimate exploration of perception, art, and the human spirit.
