Films

Terry Gilliam’s legendary and arguably most important film is, of course, about time travel, but more broadly it is a statement about freedom and the individual’s struggle against the system. In 2035, humanity is largely destroyed by a deadly virus, and prisoner James Cole, played by Bruce Willis, is sent into the past to prevent the virus from spreading. This theme is still freshly planted in the audience’s collective consciousness but even more relevant are the themes of the search for truth and the quest for the meaning of trust. This makes 12 Monkeys more relevant today than ever, which is good news for any sci-fi film. It means it was ahead of its time, and the times are only gradually catching up.

The guest of the screening in Prague will be the director of the film, Terry Gilliam. After the screening, there will be a Q&A, which will only be in English without translation.

The drab life in the future, as portrayed in Brazil, is extremely depressing, and so everyone seeks their own escape from reality. For shy clerk Sam (Jonathan Pryce), it’s fantastical dreams in which he flies around in shining armour and alongside a beautiful fair maiden. When he discovers that his chosen one may exist in the real world, he decides to take on the unforgiving system – in the name of love and freedom! Terry Gilliam’s legendary black-humoured satire is memorable not only for its uncompromisingly surreal, Dadaist imagery but also for its timeless statement on the absurdities of bureaucracy and the dangers of a dehumanised society. This is a must-see on the big screen.

The guest of the screening in Prague will be the director of the film, Terry Gilliam. There will be an introduction to the film, which will only be in English without translation.

Terrorists seize the dream machine and the line between reality and fiction begins to break down. Only Paprika, a detective story from the realm of the unconscious, can prevent the chaos. This story looks like a cross between The Matrix, Blade Runner and Nolan’s Inception but the revolutionary treatment puts it in a category of its own. A mix of psychological thriller and surreal carnival, the bold animation and unsettling electronic soundtrack make this the right anime for viewers who are tired of Miyazaki’s kindness. Paprika isn’t very kind – but it’s bold, experimental, utterly absorbing, and full of memorable scenes, as anyone who’s seen a festive parade made up of marching refrigerators, cell phones, and umbrellas at least once will attest.

A major milestone of the sci-fi genre and one of the cornerstones of world cinema on the big screen, with live musical accompaniment and what’s more, in the impressive space of the Lucerna cinema? At the Future Gate festival, definitely yes! Fritz Lang’s Metropolis needs little introduction to experienced cinephiles. Enjoy the legendary film as you’ve never seen it before – accompanied by the sound of live modular synthesizers produced by Leoš Hort aka HRTL. The allegorical tale of an over-technologised city of the future, where the elite indulge in the delights of the pleasure gardens and are fed by the masses of the working poor, remains relevant a hundred years on.

In Košice, the film will be screened with a classical music soundtrack provided by the distributor.

music: HRTL (Prague, Brno, Pilsen)

HRTL is a force of nature on modular synthesisers, his chosen weapon of over a decade, performing unique and electrifying improvised sets that fuse breakbeat rhythms with liquefying acid and synths sliced from the utmost peaks of euphoria. Performing in cities from Riga to Ankara, and major clubbing capitals such as Berlin, London, Amsterdam and Vienna, the Prague-based musician brings a decade of experience to bear in exhilarating live performances, held in his inimitable style from the very centre of the dancefloor.