Dragon Dilatation

Dragon Dilatation

Oniric tale about the world of art

A combination of two surrealist film essays. One is a variation on Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka” and the other is a recording of rehearsals for the play “La Déviante Comédie” conducted during the coronavirus pandemic. Combined into a single work, they became a story brimming with transgression, where worlds seamlessly intertwine, characters move from story to story, and the audience can only make sure that a fly does not fall into their mouths, open in delight.

Splat!FilmFest regulars will instantly recognise the on-screen style of Bertrand Mandico, whose visually stunning masterpieces we premiered in recent years (“Conann”, “After Blue (Dirty Paradise)”). All these films intermingle and show the director’s knack for pop culture quotations and art references.

 “Dragon Dilatation” features a split screen and the schtick of 1970s and 1980s European cinema. It is a feast for the eyes and ears, a film that up to a certain point relies solely on Stravinsky’s music and steers away from traditional dialogue. This is something for connoisseurs who do not seek easy entertainment in cinema. As in other works by Mandico, his expertise in making music videos is also evident here. It’s impossible to forge his style, but one immediately recognises it. The film has already been screened at Locarno, where Mandico once again left the audience in awe and confusion.

The partner of the screening is Institut Français en Pologne