This Magnificent Cake

Q+A with director Marc James Roels

World Premiering at Cannes before appearing at the Annecy and Toronto International Film Festivals, This Magnificent Cake is a surreal new stop-motion anthology film. Through intimate stories of interconnected characters–many of which rotate in and around a mysterious, luxury hotel in late 19th Century colonial Africa—a greater story about European colonialism emerges. At times wickedly humorous, and at others brutal, the film is a fascinating exploration of a world both firmly placed in history but feels completely alien. If Lars Von Trier or David Lynch had the impetus to work with delicate wooly puppets they may have produced a similar cinematic project but the acclaimed directing duo Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef have created something unique and unforgettable.

The Burden will screen prior to This Magnificent Cake. 

Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden, 2017, 13min

In Swedish with English subtitles

An animated musical with apocalyptic undertones. The story is divided into four episodes that takes place in a supermarket, a long term hotel, a call center and a hamburger restaurant. All of the settings are located in a modern, generic market place next to a large freeway.