Moderation

From Athens-based director Anja Kirschner comes Moderation, a bold and surreal experimental production about a female director (Maya Lubinsky) and a female screenwriter (Anna De Filippi) working together to develop a new horror film due to be set in Egypt, Greece and Italy. The movie charts the research and pre-production stages of the filmmaking process, taking its characters on a bizarre journey into the unexpected. Moderation pays homage to various eras of the horror genre and plays around with various cinematic styles throughout, whilst its characters begin to analyse what it is that horror actually means to them.

Utilising a number of stunning international locations and production design opportunities, the piece is a refreshing visual experience and features some awesome cinematography in places. Unusually though, it features a mixture of styles such as handheld recordings including mobile phone and camcorder footage, expressive dreamlike sequences with special effects, use of Skype, cinematic wide shots and some impressive one-take dialogue scenes. Its characters are an equally eclectic and attractive mix. However, at almost two-and-a-half hours long, Moderation can begin to grate at times and some scenes can start to feel gratuitously long and drawn out, with little point to its excessive duration.

Moderation is Anja Kirschner’s first experimental feature, having previously created video-art installations and short films. While the lengthy and unconventional Moderation may not be to everyone’s tastes, it is nonetheless a production deserving of recognition for its originality, and is a compelling insight into the curious and provocative mind of the “filmmaker”.

Jo Rogers

Moderation does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about the 60^th London Film Festival visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Moderation here: