The Miraculous Virgin (DVD)

Czechoslovakian drama directed by Stefan Uher

Surrealism was arguably the most important artistic movement of the 20th century in Slovakia as it challenged both cultural and political establishments. From The Sun in a Net director Štefan Uher, The Miraculous Virgin is an exquisite, surreal, mystery drama set in the art scene of the 1960s became one of Slovak cinema’s most admired and controversial works.

Centring on the ‘dream’ figure of Anabella (Knife in the Water’s Jolanta Umecka) who casts her spell on a group of young artists, and the film, through its embracing of fantasy and imagination, becomes a provocation to those only concerned with the material world.

The Miraculous Virgin also includes Štefan Uher’s breathtaking 1959 short film Marked by Darkness (Poznacení tmou), plus The Story of The Miraculous Virgin, an all-new documentary on the film, the talents behind it and its legacy, produced by the Slovak Film Institute; archival promotional documentary Looking for Anabella, on the search for the titular lead, and a 16-page booklet with new essay on the film by Michal Michalovic.