Autumnal Sleeps
Director: Michael Higgins · Year: 2019 · Duration: 75 min · Production: Experimental Film Society
Synopsis
It is as if Lynch and Maddin met on a walk in the woods and went to have a coffee with Murnau in their haunted house.” — Cecilia Barroso, Cenas de Cinema (Autumnal Sleeps Review, August 2020) In a remote rural estate house, a woman sleeps—alone. Set in a time not far from the dawn of the moving image, the obsessed and wealthy Dr. Epstein conducts a series of scientific experiments. His subjects include his adopted children, Pete and Re-Pete, and his beloved flapper, Baby Dee. Events take a strange turn when Epstein strikes a deal with some dubious vagabonds, opening a door to the unknown. This act ruptures the fabric of time and unleashes a shadowy figure intent on reducing all it encounters to dust. Photographed on expired 35mm film using a 50-year-old Soviet camera, Autumnal Sleeps draws inspiration from early silent cinema. The characters and performances evoke the spirit of a traveling roadshow attraction, while exploring themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism. The imagery—reminiscent of unrestored early film—flickers and bleeds with psychedelic hues, accompanied by a haunting industrial score. Poetic interludes delve into the deeper emotions of the characters, creating an otherworldly experience. Credits Written, Directed, and Produced by Michael Higgins Supported by The Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon na hÉireann In Association with Experimental Film Society Cast • Alain Servant • Natasha Everitt • Ambra Gatto Bergamasco • Henrik Gard • John Linnane • Conn Rogers • Cillian Roche • Enda Moran • Trish Murphy