Program Note
Nemo, a burglar, boldly infiltrates a penthouse filled with high-end artworks in New York. While getting in might have been possible, getting out is not so easy. The sophisticated security systems keep malfunctioning, communication with his accomplices outside the building is cut off, and he finds himself trapped within a convergence of advanced technology and art. What was once a space of wealth and opportunity becomes a trap, a testing ground, a prison, and an uninhabited island that threatens his survival. Beyond restlessness and anxiety, Nemo succumbs to hallucinations and delusions, ultimately revealing a face consumed by madness. Before he knows it, the place is filled with the wreckage of his desperate attempts to escape. However, the more he destroys, the more the place appears like an eerie artwork or canvas resulting from Nemo’s grotesque acts. It can be seen as a psychodrama that places a character in a confined space and confronts them with extreme terror, depicting their reactions and actions. This is the first feature film by Vasilis Katsoupis, originally from Greece. You will want to witness Willem Dafoe’s one-man act again and again. (JEONG Jihye)