quietearth [Celluloid 03.10.12] scifi drama



Described as a poetic and mysterious journey, this magical trip into another world is unfortunately still in development. A factory where humans ride penny-farthing cycles, powering something unknown, and receive frequent "hypnotic leisure experiences", all with the promise of the entrance to a dream city.

While I've seen this listed with another production company, it's moved and is now in better hands. Based on what we see here, I'm hoping funding will come through shortly as it is absolutely gorgeous.


Henri Grotowski looks out of the window of an old train speeding through the night with the excitable naivety of someone who has left his small town to make his fortune in the big world; on his lap a battered suitcase and a portable Gramophone. Instead of the ticket inspector, Henri is visited by the mysterious Oculista who offers Henri a look through his magical glasses.

Henri arrives at a deserted train station where his suitcase and Gramophone are instantly stolen by the beautiful but wild-looking, mute Hanna who lives in a hidden space under the station. Before he can retrieve his luggage, Henri is picked-up by a representative of the city who drives him through a labyrinth of tunnels into an impressive factory. Through the tall windows of the factory, Henri sees the beautiful and stylish, dark-golden cityscape all around him. Henri is told that people have to earn their place in the city by working in the factory for a while.

After overcoming his initial surprise, Henri starts to get hooked by the factory which does not only represent the gate to life in the city but also rewards workers with regular “hypnotic leisure-experiences”. It looks as though Henri might lose himself in the intricate dynamics of the new world when a deeper longing makes him wander back to the train station where he develops a secret relationship with Hanna. The two of them have playfully intimate, poetic moments together while listening to the crackly music of Henri’s Gramophone.

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jjay (11 years ago) Reply

I dont think this movie even knows what it wants to be

safesurfer (11 years ago) Reply

I'd love to see this, but I'm not going to unblock everything just to do that. In a day and age when it is imperative to surf safely it astounds me that some sites still insist that you lay nude and spread-eagle on the information superhighway just to access their content. There is no excuse for that.

JeffC (11 years ago) Reply

It reminds me of something like the guys who did Delicatessen or City of Lost Children a bit. Looks kind of cool.

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