Writer. Editor. Film Scholar. Script Consultant
I will be taking part in a panel discussion on women of surrealism with Giulia Rho and Sophia Satchell-Baeza after a screening of Germaine Dulac's The Seashell and The Clergyman (1928), Maya Deren's Meshes of The Afternoon (1943) and Barbara Hammer's Psychosynthesis (1975). Thursday 8th February, 20:30, Garden Cinema.
I'll be delivering a paper on Coffin Joe and surrealism at the Cine-Excess conference 'Raising Hell: Demons, Darkness and the Abject' on Wednesday 18th October 2023. Cine-Excess runs from 17th to 27th October 2023 in Birmingham, UK and online. More details on the Cine-Excess website. Pic credit: At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (José Mojica Marins, 1964)
It was such a pleasure to contribute a video essay on Coffin Joe and demonic surrealism to Arrow's superb limited edition blu-ray set. New restorations, ten films, archival material featuring José Mojica Marins and tons of extras from Stephen Thrower, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Jack Sargeant, Lindsay Hallam and Tim Lucas among others. Co-produced by Kat Ellinger... Continue Reading →
I'm looking forward to introducing Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), one of the last few films he made, at BFI Southbank tonight. Tickets available on the BFI Southbank website.
I had the great pleasure to contribute to the unprecedented documentary on Jean Rollin directed by Kat Ellinger and Dima Ballin, which will premiere at the Fantasia Festival on Saturday 16th July. Here's the Fantasia Festival's description of the film by Mitch Davis: Has there been a genre artist more fundamentally misunderstood and inappropriately discussed... Continue Reading →
I contributed an essay on Fando y Lis and surrealism to the new monumental Alejandro Jodorowsky box set from Arrow. Jodorowsky's first feature Fando y Lis (1968), an infernal adaptation of Fernando Arrabal's Panic play, psychedelic Western El Topo (1970) and delirious spiritual initiation The Holy Mountain (1973) are presented in new 4K restorations, and... Continue Reading →
Due to popular demand, I will be running my 4-week course on Surrealism in cinema again in November at Close-Up. I have been running this course once or twice a year in London since 2017. Surrealism is one of the art movements that has had the strongest influence on cinema and its impact has lasted to... Continue Reading →
Virginie Sélavy 