Presented by Cathode Love.  NOTE: Free copies of the Cathode Love book will be available upon request at the Music Box lobby.  One per ticket-holder. 

ONE NIGHT ONLY — Said to be a “lesbian El Topo”, Cathode Love is proud to present the Chicago premiere of Bertrand Mandico’s vision of a ‘post-male’ planet where women control and maintain order.  But when Kate Bush (yes, Kate Bush) is unearthed by a curious kindred spirit Roxy, the surreal vengeance of Mandico’s visual fireworks carry across the vast scope of his new feature, AFTER BLUE (Dirty Paradise).  Winner at Locarno and Fantastic Fest, a 35mm, this is a live-action Fantastic Planet with the sumptuous, lingering camera of Walerian Borowczyk.  A visual feast of otherworldly sets and optical effects to convey Mandico’s signature visual, kaleidoscopic and gender-bending style of storytelling.  A modern hybrid of the French fantastique, surreal, and erotic horror, updated for a modern audience (his catalog replete with winks and references), AFTER BLUE builds beautifully upon the sensitivity and wonder of his previous films such as THE WILD BOYS, and OUR LADY OF HORMONES in particular, in addition to dozens of similarly wild 16mm short films.  AFTER BLUE is a powerful sophomore effort at a feature film from one of France’s best new directors, and for one night, an epic, otherworldly tale of rebellion, redemption, and sumptuous visuals will be at Music Box! 

The Plot: 

In a faraway future, on a wild and untamed female inhabited planet called After Blue, a lonely teenager named Roxy (Paula Luna) unknowingly releases a mystical, dangerous, and sensual assassin from her prison. Roxy and her mother Zora (Elina Löwensohn) are held accountable, banished from their community, and forced to track down the murderer named Kate Bush. Haunted by the spirits of her murdered friends, Roxy sets out on a long and strange journey across the supranatural territories of this filthy paradise. The newest vision from Bertand Mandico (The Wild Boys) plays like a lesbian El Topo (in space!) with stunning 35mm in-camera practical effects, otherworldly set pieces, and a dazzling score by Pierre Desprats. 

In French and Polish, with English subtitles