Movie Night: Last and First Men

Škrlovec Tower
Thursday, August 4 at 9 pm

Free entry

Jóhann Jóhannsson I Island I 2020 I 71 min I film essay
English language with Slovenian subtitles



The story
Jóhann Jóhannsson, a renowned Islandic musician and author of film music, created a penetrating and lyrical reflection on the end of humanity with the visionary dystopian audiovisual essay Last and First Man, a combination of almost otherworldly music and a soundtrack with monumental 16mm recordings of monuments from the former Yugoslavia.

It is a combination of fiction and documentary, a meditative work about the transience of humanity and its legacy. The narration, excerpts from Olaf Stapledon’s science fiction novel of the same name, is led by the voice of Tilda Swinton.

From first hand
“I couldn’t imagine anyone else. I wanted her narration to sound like a strange academic lecture, tinged with melancholic lyrics, read by an authoritative voice from the future.” – Jóhann Jóhannsson (director) about Tilda Swinton’s voice leading his film.

Reviews
“The hypnotic flowing mood that subtly permeates the film also mainly comes from the music that Jóhannsson created in collaboration with the composer and sound artist Yair Elazar Glotman. The music further emphasizes the awe that the monuments inspire, enveloping them with its drawn-out, dark sound. The combination of all the elements of the film is a fascinating collage that draws the viewer into contemplation of existence, decay and the end of our days.” – Pina Gabrijan (MMC RTV SLO)