LIFF 27 Review: Andy Votel - Kleksploitation

Reviewed as part of the 27th Leeds International Film Festival (6-21 Nov, 2013)

rating: 4

Here's something you don't see every day. Part- cinema, part- sound art; part- homage, part- head-trip: just what exactly is Kleksploitation? Don't be surprised to find the term missing from even the most comprehensive of film criticism guides. For it's the rather unique name given to the psychedelic subversion of Pan Kleks, a Polish trilogy of children's films from the 1980s, as they are sliced apart, smashed together and then soundtracked - live - by the British DJ, musician and record producer Andy Votel. With barely any dialogue, an absence of subtitles and a near-constant supply of swooping sirens and ear-shattering screams, it's certainly not your typical Monday night down the multiplex. Similar in both name and nature to experimental filmmaker Amos Vogel, Votel uses a range of trippy techniques to take the trilogy (Academy of Mr. Kleks (1983), Travels of Mr. Kleks (1985) and Mr. Kleks in Space (1988)) into less familiar territory. In fact, we are lost from the very first frame. Which, of course, is precisely the point. Robbed almost completely of their context, the films are effectively reduced to a feature-length farrago of stark images - some lasting only a few seconds- and strange sound effects. Incredibly, all the audio and visual content are taken from the 'Kleks' films themselves; with Votel rehashing and re-placing Andrzej Korzynski's original score to produce something entirely different. And so what begins as a silver-foil, sci-fi space odyssey- think along the lines of The ('70s) Tomorrow People- quickly becomes a dystopian vision of interstellar invasion, with our plucky young cadets being pursued by something resembling a cross between The Tin Man and a Munchkin. Moments later, as we crash back down to earth, there's precious little to assuage our fears. If soldiers wearing wolf masks isn't your thing, then why not try coming face to face with a puppet piranha; its red eyes and sharp fangs leaping out at you from the centre of the screen? For viewers of a nervous disposition, the experimental aspect of the film takes on an increasingly literal sense - a visual assault akin to the infamous Ludovico Technique from A Clockwork Orange. This is helped in no small way by Votel's vibrant but occasionally dissonant soundtrack: its B-movie whistles and ominous bell chimes designed to keep you guessing at all times. Pretty frightening stuff. But Kleksploitation is much more than copy-and-paste film clips and a series of scare chords. Amongst all the confusion, there are some dreamily beautiful shots/sequences, too; more often than not tricked into life through double exposure. A little unnerving it may be, but I could watch it for hours. Given the surreal spectacle of the source material, it's questionable whether the films were ever 'child-friendly' to begin with; but, after peering through a glass darkly with Votel, it's definitely not something best watched before bedtime. Intrigued? Watch the trailer below... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0U7MfTxJ1M