A Tribute to George A. Romero
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), the debut of the late US filmmaker George A. Romero, is one of the most influential independent films of all time. His crude, documentary gesture, the naturalism of his violence and the renunciation of romanticization of the protagonists changed the horror genre for ever. The lack of embellishment in the black-and-white images reflected the brutality of the Vietnam War mediated by the media and the simultaneous race riots. The anonymous "walking dead" have been a symbol of escalating and insatiable consumption capitalism for almost five decades. We are pleased to present the version digitally restored in 2016 from the original negative in 4K.
Before that, another exciting Vienna premiere: THE VISITORS, a 50-minute performance by the Australian composer, performer and theoretician Lawrence English. He magnifies live by means of digital manipulation Romero's zombie horde to the slow-motion stream from close-ups, set to electronic soundscape of ultra-low frequencies and harmonic overtones. It might get loud!