THE RED SQUIRREL  1993 (La ardilla roja) Directed by Julio Medem 118 minutes In Spanish with English subtitles

This is an early film by Julio Medem (Sex and Lucia, The Lovers of the Arctic Circle) and it might be the best of his career. Even Stanley Kubrick concluded that he thought it was the best Spanish film in history. This piece of Basque surrealism works on many levels. It is an examination of relationships, what Julia Kristeva called "love organization", how we arrange our intimate connections. The film is also about memory and amnesia. Ultimately, its a film about the struggle for (sexual) identity.

What is the premise of this film, without going into the story too much? It's about a guy who is about to commit suicide. We see him deliberating, trying to jump off a bridge, when all of a sudden a girl on a motorcycle speeds down the highway, smashes against the guard-rail fence and is thrown far down onto the beach below. He runs to help her, and then even accompanies her to the hospital. Because of the accident she has forgotten everything, even what her name is. He sees this as a new lease on life, so he lies to her. That's the beginning of this mesmerizing psychotic-thriller that is both dreamy and disturbing.

The cinematography is magnificent, and the actress Emma Suárez is absolutely stunning. It's a film that seamlessly twists between hallucination and real life... a film made with both imagination and thoughtful reflection. This is definitely one of the key films of the 90s.... heads above anything Hollywood is currently churning out today, both in its mystery and complexity. Starring Emma Suárez, Nancho Novo, María Barranco, Karra Elejalde.

This will be a high-definition screening.