Harold and Maude
Harold is very inventive when it comes to his hobby: staging his suicide - on a rope, in a pool, in a massacre, by explosion. The main beneficiary (as his psychiatrist puts it) is his rich and domineering mother. His second hobby is no less morbid: he attends funerals of people he doesn't know. He shares this predilection with Maude, who is by no means morbid but extremely fun-loving. A love story develops between the two. By the way, she is sixty years older than him.
Hal Ashby tells his story of the mismatched couple with a light touch, skillfully avoiding anything that could turn it into a tragedy. Naturally, Harold's environment - consisting of his mother, his military-obsessed uncle, his psychiatrist and a priest - reacts with disapproval, but Ashby stages the accusations in such a way that it is clear Harold will not take it all so seriously. This wonderful ode to life shows a love that goes beyond all conventions and is possible after all, in the most beautiful flower-power style.
Supporting Film: The Cameraman's Revenge
A jilted husband takes his revenge by filming his wife and her lover and showing the result at the local cinema. This was one of Starewicz' first animated films, and stars a cast of animated beetles.
Live scoring: Pavel Polenz and Lehel Lajos (sounds, vocals & electronics)
