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Spooked by Saint-Saens

Marie-Louise Muir | 20:26 UK time, Sunday, 14 March 2010

Sometimes you wonder if someone is trying to tell you something. Friday afternoon I'm in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, my 40 p mix of sweets in hand, andÌýIÌýsee one of thoseÌýNorthern Ireland Digital Film Archive portals. Is that the right word?ÌýBasically it's a computer dotted around arts centres, museumsÌýand libraries.ÌýIt's free access so youÌýcan watch films, documentaries, animations, tv news and sport allÌýfrom the archive. There'sÌýaÌýfilm of the BangorÌýYacht race filmed in 1898, feature films including Alan Clarke's chilling "Elephant" and a report by Gloria Hunniford from 1970 about chestnut treesÌýbeingÌýuprooted in Portadown to make way for the motorway. Ìý

On screen in the cinema lobby,Ìý"Midnight Dance", John McCloskey's 1996 genius animation based on Saint-Saens "Dance Macabre".ÌýThe superstition isÌýthat Death appears atÌýmidnight on Hallowe'en and,Ìýby playing his fiddle, he summons the dead from their graves. Pretty creepy stuff but brilliantly made.Ìý

ThenÌýSaturday I'm in theÌýQueens Film Theatre to have a look at art exhibition, theÌýBelfast street artist who is showing his workÌýwhile Banksy's film "Exit through the Gift Shop" is showing there. Just don't call him the BelfastÌýBanksy please!

Anyway, there's another Digital Film Archive portal/computer set up, and what's on screen again?Ìý"Midnight Dance".

Then I come into work to present "Sounds Classical" and at 23 mins past 8 on the running order it says Saint-Saens Danse Macabre. Ìý

Now I really am spooked.

Ìý

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