Biography

Tim Pope is one of the most distinctive directors to emerge from the golden age of music television, his inventive, surreal style helping redefine what a music video could be. Over four decades, he has worked with major artists including David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Neil Young, Queen, Paul McCartney and The Bangles - but it’s his gloriously twisted, long-term collaboration with The Cure, spanning 37 videos, that sealed his reputation.

A graduate of Ravensbourne College of Art, Pope started out filming live gigs in the early 1980s and rode the chaos of MTV’s rise, quickly becoming one of its defining visual auteurs - equal parts showman, technician and mischief-maker.

His work extends beyond pop promos into commercials and film, including The Crow: City of Angels (1996), which went straight to No. 1 at the U.S. box office. His short Phone, starring Bill Pullman, drew praise from Martin Scorsese.

He later returned to music filmmaking with Anniversary, bringing The Cure to cinemas worldwide. Current projects include a 50th anniversary cinema documentary with Robert Smith, as well as several feature films in development. He continues to prod, provoke and occasionally behave while mentoring the next generation of filmmakers.