The Quay Brothers, acclaimed for their surreal animation style, are back with their first feature film since 2005. Titled Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass, this stop-motion and live-action hybrid is inspired by the work of Jewish-Polish author and artist Bruno Schulz. The film will debut in theaters on August 29 at Film Forum, with distribution managed by KimStim. Notably, the project is presented by Christopher Nolan, a longtime admirer of the Quay Brothers’ artistry.
Premiere and Storyline at the Venice International Film Festival
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass had its premiere as an Official Selection in the Giornate degli Autori section of the 2024 Venice International Film Festival. The narrative follows Josef, who arrives at an enigmatic and labyrinthine sanatorium searching for his dying father. The story unfolds over seven chapters, each connected to prophetic and mystical perspectives. The film explores a liminal space between dreams and reality, using a blend of intricate stop-motion puppetry and live-action sequences to bend time, objects, and dimensions.
“The first feature in 20 years by animation masters The Quay Brothers is inspired by the writings of Polish author Bruno Schulz. In a mixture of live action and breathtakingly intricate stop-motion puppetry, the Quays follow the journey of Josef, who arrives at a labyrinthine sanatorium in search of his dying father. Told in seven chapters corresponding with seven prophetic, mystical viewing lenses, the film bends objects, time, and dimensions as Josef navigates the realm between dreams and reality.” —Official Synopsis
Visual Style Reflects Deep Symbolism and Existential Themes
Oliver Weir, writing for the BFI London Review, highlighted the film’s unique structure and visual language, which draws heavily on German Expressionism. According to Weir, the film externalizes the characters’ inner states through its detailed environments and stylistic choices, including distorted shadows and textured sets. This approach creates a haunting atmosphere that evokes a sense of existential unease reminiscent of Kafka’s The Castle.
“This structural inside-outness is due in part to the film’s visual style, which, as with much of the Quays’ work, is rooted in German Expressionism. Every texture, every movement, every melody is suffused with weight and symbolism, and the characters are entirely subordinate to these elements: they have no internal state, no sense of being separate from their surroundings; everything they think or feel is externalized in the intricate sets, in the distorted shadows and monosyllabic close-ups, in the calligraphic swirls of smoke, and in the silver shimmer of their blurred faces. It is a haunting effect similar to the mood of Kafka’s The Castle in that it instills in every moment a pervasive ambiguity, an existential dislocation, which is never resolved and which never abates.” —Oliver Weir, BFI London Review
Impact and Upcoming Release
With Christopher Nolan endorsing this remarkable collaboration, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass is poised to captivate both animation enthusiasts and fans of experimental cinema. The film’s blending of intricate puppetry and live action alongside its philosophical depth offers a rare cinematic experience. Its release at Film Forum on August 29 will allow audiences to immerse themselves in the Quay Brothers’ mysterious world, which navigates the thin line between dreams and reality, time and memory.
