Eastern European Surrealism – Stirling

The Hand – Jiri Trnka (Czechoslovakia)
A happy little potter is approached by a huge hand which wants him to sculpt its statue. The potter refuses, wanting nothing more than to be left alone with his only friend, a potted plant. As the hand’s request gives way to bribery, demands, and threats, the potter becomes more desperate to escape its clutch, leading to tragedy. (18 mins)

Mask of the Red Death – Pavao Štalter and Branko Ranitović (Yugoslavia)
Based on the story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe. (10 mins)

Scenes with Beans – Ottó Foky (Hungary)
Watching from the stars, an all-seeing creature observes a society of sentient beans — the joys, triumphs, and tragedies of day-to-day life
on their planet — until the busy inhabitants finally notice the watcher’s leering gaze. (12 mins)

…Ja teeb trike (…And Plays Tricks) – Priit Parn (USSR)
A tiny green bear (the Trickster) tries his best to impress a group of animals with his annoying tricks. (10 mins)

Tyll the Giant – Rein Raamat (USSR) Based on an Estonian folk tale about of the gigantic hero, Tõll, who lived on the island of Saaremaa (Oesel) in the Baltic Sea. When war comes to the island, Tõll arrives to aid his dying army, but the devil takes advantage of his absence to wreak havoc on Tõll’s home. (13 mins)

Dimensions of Dialogue – Jan Švankmajer (Czechoslovakia)
Three surreal depictions of failures of communication that occur on all levels of human society. (12 mins)

The Juggler – Skirmanta Jakaitè (Lithuania/France)
We live in the same house, but in different apartments, jobs, situations, convictions, visions, fooling ourselves that this is the only world that exists. This film is about an unfamiliar and frightening side of life, one that we never really grasp but feel it somewhere close. (11 mins)

Money and Happiness – Nikola Majdak Jr., Ana Nedeljković (Serbia)
The hamsters live and work in Hamsterland, a perfect state with a perfect economy. The GDP grows steadily, there is no unemployment, and 100% of the population declare themselves to be happy. (10 mins)