Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary

Canada, 2002, 75 min Director Guy Maddin Producer Vonnie Von Helmolt Screenwriters Guy Maddin, based on a ballet by Mark Godden Choreographer Mark Godden Cinematographer Paul Suderman Editor deco dawson Music Gustav Mahler Cast Dan Condurache, Ana Ciontea, Horatiu Malaele, Dan Astilean, Valer Delakeza Cast Zhang Wei-Qiang, Tara Birtwhistle, David Moroni, Cindy Marie Small, Johnny Wright Sales Agent: Rhombus Media / International Inc. Close Print Page		Internationally renowned Winnipeg director Guy Maddin (Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, VIFF 97) returns with this extravagant, gorgeous retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula. A synthesis of avant-garde silent cinema and dynamic choreography, this lushly gothic piece begins with the panicked warning of "immigrants from the East" and proceeds through a darkly humorous exploration of dread and desire, repressed sexuality and male jealousy. Adapted from Mark Godden's acclaimed Royal Winnipeg Ballet production and set to the epic music of Gustav Mahler, Maddin's Dracula offers a sensually kinetic nightmare world that drips with melodrama. In a twist on Stoker's tale, the titular virgin refers to both Lucy and Jonathan Harker, extending notions of barely suppressed lust and constraining Victorian era ideals across both genders. Originally produced for the CBC's performing arts series Opening Night, Dracula proves much grander than the small screen. Charismatic Ballet Master Johnny W. Chang demonstrates impressive technical skill and expressive range as Dracula while Principal Dancer Tara Birtwhistle is captivating as the elegant yet tortured Lucy. Maddin obsessively re-imagines silent cinema conventions into a stylized excess that includes Expressionistic shadows and fog while simultaneously evoking the hyperactive aesthetic of music video; at the same time, he augments footage shot on Super 8 and 16mm with digital effects in order to once again re-invent a genre that could never have existed. A visual knockout, the film combines striking black-and-white cinematography, highlighted by splashes of red, with the breathtaking cutting style of editor deco dawson. This sublime masterpiece is an unforgettable experience not to be missed by Vancouver audiences. - Diane Burgess		Programme Code: DRACU Sun Oct 6, 7:00pm Visa Screening Room @the Vogue $8.50 Wed Oct 9, 3:00pm Pacific Cinémathèque $6.50 Selected Filmography Tales from the Gimli Hospital (88), Archangel (90), Careful (92), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (97)
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