Wednesday, 18 November 2026 at 9 pm
La cité des enfants perdus
Directed by: Marc Caro / Jean-Pierre Jeunet
France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, USA, 1995, Colour, 112'
Krank, an exceptionally intelligent but malevolent being created by a missing scientist, cannot dream, which causes him to age prematurely. In his hideout on an abandoned oil platform (which he shares with the scientist's other creations: six childlike clones, a dwarf named Martha and a brain in a jar called Irvin), he uses a dream-extraction machine to steal dreams from children. The children are kidnapped for him from the nearby port town by a cyborg cult called the Cyclops; in return, he supplies them with mechanical eyes and ears. Among the kidnapped is Denrée, the adopted younger brother of the circus strongman One...
The creative duo Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet made their debut in 1991 with the cult post-apocalyptic black comedy Delicatessen, which was distinguished by its extraordinary design, before going on to co-direct The City of Lost Children four years later, another ultra-designed fantasy film. It premiered in the main competition programme at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for four Césars, the French equivalent of the Oscars, in the categories of Best Music, Photography, Production Design and Costume Design, winning the award for Production Design. It should be mentioned that the music was composed by Angelo Badalamenti, famed for his work on the cult TV series Twin Peaks by David Lynch and Mark Frost, and that the costumes were created by the renowned fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier.
The cinematography was by the esteemed Darius Khondji (Seven, Alien: Resurrection, Love), who first made his name working on Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children. The film was received favourably by critics, who praised its fascinating visual style, although there were some reservations about the plot's confusion. It was the last film that Jeunet and Caro made together; after it, Caro stopped directing feature films for 13 years, while Jeunet went on to make one of the best films in the Alien series – Alien: Resurrection – and his greatest success, Amélie; his later films were less creatively potent.
Commentary by: Damir Radić
Tickets for the screening on 18 November 2026 at 9 pm can be purchased online HERE, as well as at the Surogatkino KIC box office before the start.