Prezít svuj zivot (teorie a praxe)

(Sunday 8th, Tues 10th to Thurs 12th Jan / 8pm £5/4/3 TTT)
(Jan Svankmajer / 2011 / Czech Republic / 105 minutes / Certificate 15 / subtitled)

Now 77, Jan Svankmajer is now the grandfather animator of Prague. A master of his practice. The film is his first feature for 5 years and is a dark and surreal "psychoanalytic comedy," which vaguely describes the struggle of the middle-aged Eugene (Vaclav Helsus) to come to terms with his dream life. It is shot with a unique technique using animated photo cut-outs of actors, and live- action sequences, which gives a collage feel.

Though married to Milady (Zuzana Kronerova), a woman his own age, Eugene begins to dream repeatedly of a lovely young woman (Klara Issova) with various names that begin with an "E." Eventually he realizes her name is Eugenia, like his mother. As his dream relationship with this younger lady develops, she becomes pregnant and Eugene consults a psychoanalyst...

The multi-hyphenate Svankmajer is at the height of his filmmaking powers as director, artist and storyteller in this imaginative and surreal delve into how dream-life and reality are one.

Not to be missed on the big screen!