Institute Benjamenta, The Quay Brothers

Institute Benjamenta: Or This Dream People Call Human Life is the striking first live-action feature from master animators, the Quay Brothers. The film stars Mark Rylance, currently performing in West End play La Bete, and Alice Krige, soon to be seen in Disney’s summer blockbuster The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

Jakob (Mark Rylance) wants to be of service. Admitted to a peculiar school for servants run by domineering Johannes (Gottfried John) and his sorrowful sister Lisa (Alice Krige), and perplexed at first by his often-absurd new surroundings, Jakob gradually uncovers the mystical Institute’s secrets and, by extension, those of life itself.

The Quays’ visionary style, stunning monochrome photography by Nic Knowland and Larry Sider’s rich soundscapes breathe life into every corner of this fragile world, which shimmers with repressed energy and hypnotic beauty.

The film is presented with a variety of extra features including a new documentary exploring the making of the film through interviews with the Quay Brothers, Mark Rylance, Alice Krige and principle crew, and four other short films. The DVD is one of the first three releases in the BFI’s new Dual Format Edition package (containing both a Blu-ray and DVD disc).

Competition: We have three copies of Institute Benjamenta to give away, courtesy of the BFI. To win yourself one of these dual format edition DVDs, simply answer this question – which Quay Brothers film was made in response to the medical collection of Sir Henry Wellcome? Email your answer to engine@animateprojects.org by 19 August to be in with a chance to win. Three winners will be selected at random after the deadline.

We recently caught up for a chat with The Quay Brothers – read the interview here…