The Mill & the Cross

Taking Pieter Bruegel the Elder's complex 1564 masterpiece The Way to Calvary as his foundation, director Majewski has fashioned a hypnotic fusion of cinema and fine art, in which five hundred figures stir to life amidst the rustic landscapes of Flanders. From the swarming multitude the film selects a dozen characters – a grieving Virgin Mary (Charlotte Rampling), a wealthy patron (Michael York), and countless peasants – whose lives unfold and intertwine over the course of a single day. Against the brutal religious persecution and political strife that wracked 16th-century Europe, the epic tragedy, shot with luminous stillness and sculpted camera movement, transforms painterly imagery into a near-silent reflection on divinity and human cruelty.

13/6(Sat) Free Screening: Online registration for public starts from 10am on 26 May at HKIFF Cine Fan website. Seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.

28/6(Sun): Film talk with Li Hong-ting

Cultural Partner