The very dear Craig Conley introduced me recently to the spectacular 1970s Czech film by Jaromil Jires, called Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. It is a bizarre coming-of-age reverie, consisting of a young girl who lives with her mysterious grandmother, lusty old vampires, magical earrings, burgeoning sexuality, ripe romance, hundreds of dripping candles, lacey dresses, oppressive religious figures, sick chickens, sun-dappled fields, dusty piles of books, and the list goes on. The actual plot is tricky to suss out as the story follows its own surreal dream logic, but it's the sumptuous art direction and hazy mood that makes the film so special. You can watch the film in pieces on YouTube, or you can try and be lucky enough to catch a showing of the Valerie Project, a touring version wherein live musicians play an alternative soundtrack against the rolling footage.
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