Archive

Puchon Choice: Features

The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz

Ben Hopkins

UK1999 89min 35mm B&W

Synopsis

A manhole spews forth Thomas Katz on the edge of a London roadway. He emerges pale and seemingly out of place with his antique clothes and strange appearance. However, after hailing a taxi and assuming the driver’s identity, it slowly becomes apparent that he has a purpose-chaos. Katz picks up a government minister and takes his fare to a press conference. There we see that the minister is no longer himself. Rather, Katz has transformed into the minister. He enters the press conference and unilaterally declares war on the Middle Far Distant East. A series of transformations ensues for Katz, with each one bringing London one step closer to total anarchy. Only one man seems to be up to stopping Katz-the blind Zoroastrian Chief of Police. Writer-Director Ben Hopkins has created something very rare in modern cinema-a film with truly original content and style.

Diretor

Ben Hopkins

Ben Hopkins trained at the Royal College of Arts in London. His first feature film, < Simon Magus >, produced by Robert Jones was selected for Official Competition at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival.