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World Cinema: Herostratus

on BBC Two England

This week: from Britain
Don Levy's award-winning experimental film starring Michael Gothard, Gabriella Licudi, Peter Stephens.

A young man who wants to commit suicide publicly, in the presence of as many people as possible, persuades a Public Relations firm to handle the "event."

This experimental film produced by Don Levy and James Quinn, with the aid of the British Film Institute Production Board and the BBC, was praised by British critics when it was first shown in 1968.

""Herostratus" is one of the most successful films with experimental intent that I have seen for a long time." (Peter Lennon: The Guardian)
"It is brilliant and it is faintly repellent because it means to shake us up. It is edited with complete assurance in an allusive, non-literal, modern way." (John Russell Taylor: The Times)
"The photography is superb, daubing the screen with images of alienation." (Kenneth Tynan: The Observer)
"The central idea is to criticise the ambivalence of our competitive society." (Patrick Gibbs: The Daily Telegraph)

(Philip Jenkinson: page 12)

Contributors

Producer/Director/Screenwriter:
Don Levy
Producer:
James Quinn
Original Idea:
Alan Daiches
Max:
Michael Gothard
Clio:
Gabriella Licudi
Farson:
Peter Stephens
Pointer:
Anthony Paul
Sandy:
Mona Chin

BBC Two England

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