Darren Banks

In 2015 I had the pleasure of meeting Francesca Ciardi in her beautiful coffee shop in the middle of a sleepy Cotswold village. Francesca once starred in the infamous cult horror film ‘Cannibal Holocaust’ directed by Ruggero Deodato in 1980.

To mark the meeting with Francesca Ciardi I asked her to sign the book ‘Killing for Culture’ by David Kerkes & David Slater, alongside the chapter about the film. As an artwork I asked Francesca to write a short sentence “Darren, There’s no other” to try and dispel the fears of the unknown and the violent depiction of other peoples, cultures and ideas. The work is, in part, a healing process to acknowledge that violence has no justification. The film was obviously a difficult experience for Ciardi and the actors involved, and the book dedication forms an endearing, or a heart-felt message to a horror film fan.