LIFF Archive

The Saragossa Manuscript

Wojciech Has’s extraordinary 1965 cult classic is a labyrinthine story about storytelling, much admired by David Lynch. During Napoleon’s invasion of Spain, two soldiers discover a strange manuscript at an Inn. The book chronicles the adventures of Alfonso van Worden. Alfonso’s passage through the dangerous Sierra Morena mountains is repeatedly interrupted by seemingly random encounters with an assortment of larger-than-life figures. Each character’s story adds an intricate layer to the puzzle-like plot. Showing as part of the Stuart Croft season in tribute to the artists’ own circular narratives.