Josiane Keller “millefleurs” (2015)
And whilst Jean-Pierre aka ‘Johnny’, the unsuccessful pimp-turned-photographer, is sitting in a dingy cafe in a city that looks an awful lot like Montmartre of the 30’s, contemplating his financial troubles and searching for answers, whilst his girlfriend Alice is cross with him and refuses to speak to him, or in fact acknowledge his presence, here some equally surreal entertainment, equally close to life on earth as we enjoy it, by Jan Švankmajer:
Jan Svankmajer – Darkness – Light – Darkness
starring his beloved tongue:
Jan Švankmajer “Darkness – Light – Darkness” (1989)
and “Neco z Alenky / Alice”:
Jan Švankmajer “Alice” (1988)
Superb version of a challenging classic.
Here one of the film posters (UK version) painted by Jan Švankmajer’s late wife, Eva:
Eva Švankmajerová “Neco z Alenky /Alice” (1988)
And finally this brilliant and lesser known early film “Zahrada / The Garden”
The Garden – 1968 – Jan Svankmajer
Jan Švankmajer “Zahrada /The Garden” (1968)
If you are confused you can read, for instance, this article by Marie J. Jean for VOX (Montreal) about it:
centrevox-Jan Švankmajer’s Political Allegories -MARIE J. JEAN
“…
Jan Švankmajer’s surrealism is is much more about taking anti-totalitarian stances than espousing an aesthetic current. In his film universe, things are animated into strange and impossible worlds.
In Czech surrealist theory, the aim is to reinstate the subconscious dimension of subjectivity so often repressed in contexts of totalitarianism. …”