The wondrous world of Jean Painlevé

Vampire bats, sensual octopuses, miniature predators, dancing sea horses, delicate invertebrates and spectacular microorganisms star in the masterful short films directed by Jean Painlevé, the ingenious filmmaker-scientist-inventor who first popularized scientific discoveries. Capturing his charming characters with innovative equipment he often made himself, he accompanied nature’s bizarre choreography with classical or jazz music and a rather sardonic voiceover, breaking the boundaries of nature documentary. Attracting the attention of the surrealist movement, it would be said the industrious Frenchman unwittingly flirted with avart-garde filmmaking! Exile Room is happy to present a carefully selected short program consisting of seven films, directed between 1928 and 1978, celebrating a fascinating, multi-disciplinary talent that changed the face of science.

The program consists of the following films:

The Octopus / La pieuvre (1928, 13’)

The Sea Horse / L’hippocampe (1934, 15’)

The Vampire / Le vampire (1945, 9’)

Freshwater Assassins / Assassins d’eau douce (1947, 24’)

Sea Urchins / Oursins (1954, 11’)

Acera, or the Witches’ Dance / Acéra ou Le bal des sorcières (1972, 13’)

Liquid Crystals / Cristaux liquides (1978, 7’)