Berberian Sound Studio

Met zijn tweede speelfilm richt de Britse regisseur Peter Strickland een monument op voor de vakmensen achter de schermen. In Berberian Sound Studio krijgt een Britse ‘foley artist’ bij de opnamen van een groezelige Italiaanse thriller te kampen met angstaanjagende innerlijke demonen.

 

Toby Jones’ foley artist is finds himself unable to separate reality from the horror film he’s working on in Peter Strickland’s second feature.

Jones plays Gilderoy, an expert in creating sounds for film. His skill as a foley artist, using everything, from watermelons to raw meat, to replicate the sound of a grisly death, have made him a sought-after collaborator for horror directors. Which is why he finds himself in an Italian recording studio working on a Giallo – visceral murder mysteries popular in 1970s Italian cinema. However, his sense of unease at being in this otherworldly place begins to manifest itself in a form of paranoia where life might be imitating art.

Strickland’s first film Katalin Varga won an award for its sound at the Belin Film Festival. Working with visionary group Broadcast, Strickland once again revels in the complexity of his aural environment, complemented by some bold visuals, affectionate parodies of 1970s fashion, design and cinema, and an outstanding performance by Jones.