A Page of Madness

DIRECTED BY TEINOSUKE KINUGASA | JAPAN | 70 MINS

One of the most unique films of the Japanese silent era. Created by an avant-garde movement of artists known as the Shinkankakuha (School of New Perceptions), which rejected naturalistic styles. Highly influenced by Noh theatre, including a finale utilizing traditional Noh masks, A Page of Madness is commonly interpreted as an early horror film. We say "commonly interpreted" because with its avant-garde editing, potentially non-linear narrative, and lack of title cards, the film's story is left open to audience interpretation. During its original theatrical run, the film would have been accompanied by a narrator called a benshi, who would have given an interpretation of the events onscreen based on the film's written scenario. Set in an asylum in contemporary Japan, the film's plot includes dream sequences and fantasies that blur the line between fantasy and reality, calling the sanity of its characters into question. Thought to be a lost film for decades, it was rediscovered by the director himself in 1971, buried in his garden shed.

Avers, Albert and Choi premiered “A Page of Madness” at the Drammen FIlmklubb in Norway in 2018. They created a largely improvised score that uses a combination of acoustic and electric instruments (guitar, electric guitar, violin and percussion). The distortion, glitch and oscillation effects create a manic backdrop to this psychological tale.