Accidence

Forum 2018

The prologue to The Green Fog shows a dial being turned from “Talk” to “Listen”. In a studio cinema, a man in handcuffs is held at gunpoint as he watches the images on the screen. A map can be seen, with a finger pointing to San Francisco. Reporters stand in front of a building, poised to deliver news by loudspeaker; the public wait in fear. The Golden Gate Bridge appears, bathed in green light; a storm rises, the steep streets of the city are entirely deserted.
The structure of this film by Guy Maddin, Galen Johnson and Evan Johnson pays homage to Hitchcock’s Vertigo: a dizzying assemblage of film and TV images both familiar and unknown, all from the Bay Area. From this trove of found material, they have created a cinematic fantasy that pulls the viewer in and never lets go.
The short film Accidence is hardly less rich in images, though they are spread across the screen in just one single shot. A murder has been committed on a balcony. But it is only one of the many balconies attached to a large apartment block. Strange things are transpiring of each of them on loop. As the eye attempts to take them all in, the murder soon seems entirely unimportant.

by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
with Adam Brooks, Jon Stebbe, William Bond, Xander Boulard, Brent Neale, Mike Maryniuk, Rhayne Vermette, Ash Sealgair, Ming Hon, Micaella Stone Canada 2018 Without dialogue 10’ Colour World premiere

With

Adam Brooks (Detective MacMillan)
Jon Stebbe (The Perp)
William Bond (Detective Weif)
Xander Boulard (10 Year Old Boy)
Brent Neale (Dr. Jekyll)
Mike Maryniuk (Mr. Hyde)
Rhayne Vermette (Echo)
Ash Sealgair (Handsome)
Ming Hon (Pet Photographer)
Micaella Stone (Young Woman Host)

Crew

Written and Directed by	Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
Cinematography	Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
Editing	Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Ryan Simmons
Music	Ensign Broderick
Sound Design	Andy Rudolph
Sound	Andy Rudolph, Kelsey Braun
Production Design	Galen Johnson
Producer	Juliette Hagopian

Produced by

Juliette Inc.

Guy Maddin

The Canadian director, installation artist, screenwriter and cinematographer was born in 1956 in Winnipeg. He has directed 12 feature films, including The Forbidden Room. He has presented numerous performances of his films around the world with live elements such as an orchestra, sound effects, singing and narration. Since 2011, he has been collaborating with Galen Johnson and Evan Johnson in the filmmaking collective, Development Ltd.

Filmography (selection)

1988 Tales from the Gimli Hospital; 72 min. · Tales from the Gimli Hospital 1990 Archangel; 90 min. · Archangel 1997 Twilight of the Ice Nymphs; 91 min. · Twilight of the Ice Nymphs 2002 Dracula – Pages from a Virgin’s Diary; 73 min. · Dracula – Pages from a Virgin’s Diary 2003 The Saddest Music in the World; 100 min. · The Saddest Music in the World 2006 Brand Upon the Brain!; Forum · Brand Upon the Brain!; 95 Min., Forum 2007 2007 My Winnipeg; 80 min., Forum 2008 · My Winnipeg; Forum 2015 The Forbidden Room; 130 min., Forum 2015, co-directed by Evan Johnson · The Forbidden Room; Forum, co-directed by Evan Johnson 2020 Stump the Guesser; co-directed by Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020

Evan Johnson

The Canadian writer and filmmaker was born in 1983 in Winnipeg where he now lives with his family. He studied film and philosophy at the University of Manitoba and was discovered by the director Guy Maddin with whom he co-directed his first feature film, The Forbidden Room.

Filmography

2015 Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton; 30 min., Forum Expanded 2016, co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson · Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton; Forum Expanded, co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson 2016 Seances; co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson 2018 Accidence; co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson · Accidence; Forum, co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson 2020 Stump the Guesser; co-directed by Guy Maddin and Galen Johnson

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020

Galen Johnson

Born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1981. After studying architecture, he spent several years in the industry before working as a production designer and composer on The Forbidden Room, for which he received a nomination for a Canadian Screen Award. Since then, he has been co-director with Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson on feature films including The Green Fog as well as on experimental film projects.

Filmography

2015 Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton; 30 min., Forum Expanded 2016, co-directed by Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson · Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton; Forum Expanded, co-directed by Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson 2017 The Green Fog; co-directed by Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson 2020 Stump the Guesser; co-directed by Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020