Surrealist Experimental Hallucinatory: Short Films

The Surrealist artistic movement was born in the aftermath of World War I, as shell-shocked nations strove to rebuild and artists began to explore the unconscious mind, seeking to synthesize an expression of the illogical world of dreams with the cold reality they found themselves in.

The independent art film community of the 1920s embraced Surrealism, producing a number of incredible titles ranging from abstract animation to portraits of city life and films that defied narrative even as they engaged with it. These short films proved highly influential on generations of filmmakers, even in commercial Hollywood, where filmmakers like Walt Disney and Alfred Hitchcock collaborated with Salvador Dalí. Surrealist ideas continue to inform cinematic language through the films of David Lynch and other modern masters.

The Calgary Cinematheque is excited to present a curated selection of these classic shorts, accompanied by live music. This special program is heading to the suburbs for two nights only, with screenings at the Rocky View YMCA and Seton YMCA.

Film Line up:

• The Fall of the House of Usher (1928). Dir. by James Sibley Watson. 13 min.
• Rhythmus 21 (1921). Dir. by Hans Richter. 3 min.
• The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra (1928). Dir. by Robert Florey. 11 min.
• Symphonie diagonale (1923). Dir. by Viking Eggeling. 7 min.
• Meshes of the Afternoon (1943). Dir. by Maya Deren. 14 min.
• Un Chien Andalou (1929). Dir. by Luis Bunuel. 21 min.
• Return to Reason (1923). Dir. by Man Ray. 3 min.

Written by Ben Rowe.