Berberian Sound Studio
U.K. 2012

Opening 13 Jun 2013

Directed by: Peter Strickland
Writing credits: Peter Strickland
Principal actors: Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Cosimo Fusco, Susanna Cappellaro, Suzy Kendall

Close your eyes and try to imagine an image that accompanies the squishing of a watermelon with a meat chopper or the sound of a chain being pulled across sand paper or better yet, an image that matches perfectly to a blood curdling scream from a microphone. Director Peter Strickland throws light on what goes on behind the scenes in the sound studios of film making. Set in the 1970s in Italy we meet the timid English sound master Gileroy who takes on a job at the Berberian Sound Studio. It doesn’t take him long to realize he struggling with unknown forces so complicated that he feels like a fish without water. He is confronted with Italian macho men, beautiful seductive women, and not being paid for his extraordinary talent and work efforts. The worst actually is that he is a man who works on nature documentaries in the quiet landscapes of England and is now being forced to make the soundtrack for a horror film. Due to his frustrations and long hours he begins to cross over the lines of reality.

The surrealist quality in this film reminds me of the Polanski film Repulsion. Strickland has created a masterpiece which has so many nuances that most films of today lack. This film should be added to your must-see list since it will not only give you a behind-the-scenes view but will bring you into the depths of a psychological thriller. (Shelly Schoeneshoefer)