Masterclass and shorts: David Lynch and surrealism

A masterclass with Sigurjón Sighvats, the producer of Lynch, the surrealist poet and script writer and author Sjón, and Floria Sigismondi, the festival's guest of honor, about the legend of David Lynch and the status of surrealism in films following his passing. Is there still room for unconventional voices, new paths, and what has David Lynch's legacy done for the film industry? Does surrealism in films still have relevance? A selection of David Lynch’s shorts will be shown and discussed.  Following this, there will be an unexpected event at Bíó Paradís that no true Lynch fan will want to miss.

The shorts that will be screened are:

1. The Alphabet (1968, 4 min)

   A haunting mix of live-action and animation, inspired by a child's nightmare, exploring themes of anxiety and the fear of learning.

2. The Amputee (1974, 4-5 min)

   A darkly comedic single-take scene featuring a woman (played by Catherine Coulson) writing a letter while a nurse (played by Lynch) tends to her amputated legs.

3. The Grandmother (1970, 33 min)

   A surreal tale of a neglected boy who grows a grandmother for comfort, blending live action and eerie animation, with a distinctive sound design by Alan Splet.

4. Premonitions Following an Evil Deed (1996, 52 sec)

   Created using the original Cinematographe for the film Lumière et compagnie, this intense, fragmented short captures police discovering a body while a woman wrestles with disturbing visions.

5. Six Figures Getting Sick (Six Times) (1966, 1 min) Lynch’s first foray into film, a looped animated piece depicting distorted human figures experiencing sickness and combustion, originally presented as a moving sculpture