Film screening: The Holy Mountain, 1973

The Holy Mountain, 1973

Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky

Holy Mountain is the story of a thief’s journey. After waking up to a hoard of children intent on crucifying him, a thief is rescued by a handless, footless dwarf with whom he travels through a series of parallel landscapes. After being moulded into hundreds of wax Christ figures, the thief ascends to the sky and meets an alchemist (played by Jodorowsky) who instructs him and seven others to find nine immortals who rule the world on top of The Holy Mountain.

Based on ‘The Ascent of Mt. Carmel’ by St. John of the Cross and ‘Mount Analogue: A Novel of Symbolially Authentic Non-Euclidean Adventures in Mountain Climbing’ by Rene Daumal, Jorowosky’s compelling visual masterpiece combines artful cinematography with symbolic surrealist action and extravagant characterization.

Organised in collaboration with Anna Caldicott.

Film courtesy of ABKCO FILMS.