“Whistle and I'll come to you my lad…” - Coil
Be forewarned, this isn’t a horror programme, at least not in the conventional sense - but don’t venture too far into the woods. These films creep around the edge of reality, of the shadowy figure outlined in the doorway, the unfurling of a mysterious scroll. Following on from our summer Eye Rituals programme at ICA, we’ve curated a further series of mystic visions and surreal psychic excursions.
Mind-bending, enchanting psychedelia from Peter Strickland and Susanne Deeken meet underground fairytales and an ode to Dario Argento. Surrender your senses to a programme that harks back to 70s folk horror, the art of Leonora Carrington and Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
I Dreamed I Heard a Song Called Habibi, dir. Benji Kast, US 2021, 9’
Blank Narcissus [Passion of the Swamp], dir. Peter Strickland, UK 2022, 11’
Swallow the Universe, dir. Nieto, France 2021, 12’
In Light, dir. Alice Fassi, Italy 2022, 8’
The House of Brick and Stone, dir. Ananth Subramaniam, Malaysia 2022, 16’
The Businessman, dir. Nathan Ginter, US 2022, 9’
Mumpitz, dir. Susanne Deeken, UK 2022, 4’
The Debutante, dir. Elizabeth Hobbs, UK 2022, 8’
Perfect City: The Mother, dir. Shengwei Zhou, US 2022, 12’
Screening as part of London Short Film Festival 2023