Experimental Film Society · Films

Autumnal Sleeps (2019)

Synopsis

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 — an act that ruptures the fabric of time and unleashes a shadowy figure intent on reducing all it encounters to dust. Drawing inspiration from early silent cinema, its characters and performances evoke the spirit of a travelling roadshow attraction while exploring themes of voyeurism and exhibitionism; the imagery flickers and bleeds with psychedelic hues, accompanied by a haunting industrial score, with poetic interludes delving into the deeper emotions of the characters.

Credits

Written, Directed & Produced: Michael Higgins
Cast: Alain Servant, Natasha Everitt, Ambra Gatto Bergamasco, Henrik Gard, John Linnane, Conn Rogers, Cillian Roche, Enda Moran and Trish Murphy