"Dazzling visual invention from a master animator... an unmissable pleasure." - Hollywood Reporter

After a five-year absence following the death of his wife, Eva, surrealist Jan Švankmajer (Lunacy, MIFF 2006) ventures into biographical territory with this so-called 'psychoanalytical comedy'.

Eugene falls in love with a woman from his dreams, whose name - starting with 'E' - eludes him upon waking. He approaches a therapist for help and together their investigations begin to unpick what it is that's locked deep in Eugene's subconscious.

Combining live-action backdrops with photo cut-outs of the actors, Surviving Life delves into a world where reality is as obscure as the dreams it presents. Reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's animations for Monty Python's Flying Circus, Surviving Life is a whimsical, offbeat homage to the intractable confusions of our inner selves.

D/S Jan Švankmajer P Jaromír Kallista WS Athanor L Czech w/English subtitles TD 35mm/2010