HOUR OF THE WOLF (1968)
Ingmar Bergman | Sweden | 1h 28m | Swedish with English subtitles
In HOUR OF THE WOLF, Ingmar Bergman takes his lifelong fascination with death, madness and the darker corners of the human mind into the territory of gothic horror, creating one of the most disturbing films of his career.
FOMO presents HOUR OF THE WOLF as the opening film of BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES, the third night of our alternative Halloween Film Week. It's followed at 21:00 by David Lynch's ERASERHEAD (1977), creating a double bill in which two filmmakers transform their most personal fears into extraordinary cinematic horror.
Where Bergman follows a tortured artist through a world of gothic visions and psychological uncertainty, Lynch plunges a reluctant father into an industrial nightmare of disturbing sounds and grotesque imagery. Both films explore the anxieties of identity, intimacy and parenthood through haunting black-and-white cinematography, offering a different kind of Halloween terror from the familiar monsters and supernatural shocks of conventional horror cinema.
ABOUT THE FILM
Johan Borg (Max von Sydow), a troubled painter suffering from insomnia and recurring nightmares, retreats to a remote island with his pregnant wife Alma (Liv Ullmann). Hoping to escape his anxieties, Johan instead finds himself haunted by mysterious figures, sinister aristocrats and terrifying visions. As his psychological state deteriorates, Alma struggles to distinguish his hallucinations from the strange events unfolding around them.
The film grew out of Bergman's own nightmares and psychological anxieties. Originally conceived in 1964 under the title THE CANNIBALS, the project was interrupted when Bergman fell seriously ill with pneumonia. He went on to make PERSONA before returning to the material, completing HOUR OF THE WOLF in 1966 for release two years later.
Working with cinematographer Sven Nykvist, Bergman creates an extraordinary black-and-white world of stark coastlines, sinister interiors and grotesque faces. Moving between psychological drama and gothic horror, the film draws on vampire stories, supernatural folklore and German Expressionism. Its carefully composed images and unsettling performances create a world in which ordinary surroundings gradually become threatening.
Several coastal sequences were filmed at Hovs Hallar in Sweden, where Bergman had previously staged the famous chess game between the knight and Death in THE SEVENTH SEAL. The return to this iconic location creates a fascinating connection between two very different explorations of mortality in Bergman's work.
FOOD AND DRINK POLICY: SHEREKILEBI Bar in FOMO Cinema opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day and closes at 01:30, serving a wide selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic refreshments, as well as fresh hot popcorn! Outside food is allowed in the bar but not in the cinema. No alcohol or drinks from outside allowed. All guests are invited to arrive early and stay late!
LOCATION: FOMO Secret Cinema, Bazari Orbeliani, Tbilisi. A five minute walk from Liberty Square metro.
HOW TO FIND FOMO: Enter Bazari Orbeliani via Atoneli St above Carrefour and take the stairs on your left to Level 1. Signage on the door. You can also check our Instagram story highlights for a video showing exactly how to find us: https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTMzMTA2Mjk0MDI5MjM1
REFUND & CREDIT POLICY: If FOMO cancels a screening, all ticket holders will receive a full refund. If your plans change and you can no longer attend, we’ll issue you a credit for the value of your ticket if you let us know 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. The credit an be used for any FOMO film screening within the following 30 days.
TICKETS are also available to purchase over the bar if not sold out.
FOMO Secret Cinema • Bazari Orbeliani, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
