György Pálfi (Hukkle) clocks in with a ghastly, audacious assault on the senses, involving a male genetic disorder that results in more body dysfunction than Cronenberg's entire oeuvre.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2007
Taxidermia 2006
From the startlingly original mind of György Pálfi, whose previous outing, Hukkle, wowed Festival audiences worldwide, here is an indescribable follow-up that continues his wonder with the mysteries of nature, biology and mortality. But unlike the hypnotic calm of his earlier work, Taxidermia is more akin to a severe assault on the senses. The story leaps from generation to generation of Magyar men and a genetic disorder that results in more body dysfunction than Cronenberg’s entire oeuvre. An ode to unseen stories of sadness, love and mutation, from harelipped masturbating peeping toms to Olympian speed-eating, grotesque sex, strange infants, penises that shoot fire and gigantic house cats – well, you get the idea. This hilarious yet ghastly broth of Monty Python-style shenanigans and Eastern European gloominess is not recommended for all tastes, but those seeking a bizarre and utterly audacious experience will be in goggle-eyed heaven. Prepare to let your eyes, ears and mind feast on this one-of-a-kind cinematic buffet.