De Humani Corporis Fabrica (film)
2022 French-Swiss film
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De Humani Corporis Fabrica is a 2022 documentary film directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel,[1] taking its title from the 16th-century anatomy books of Andreas Vesalius. It premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and was later shown at festivals including Toronto, New York and Taipei.[2][3]
Véréna Paravel
Véréna Paravel
Max Karli
Valentina Novati
Véréna Paravel
| De Humani Corporis Fabrica | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Lucien Castaing-Taylor Véréna Paravel |
| Written by | Lucien Castaing-Taylor Véréna Paravel |
| Produced by | Pauline Gygax Max Karli Valentina Novati |
| Cinematography | Lucien Castaing-Taylor Véréna Paravel |
| Edited by | Lucien Castaing-Taylor Véréna Paravel |
Production companies | Norte Productions Rita Productions Sensory Ethnography Lab |
Release date |
|
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Countries | France Switzerland United States |
| Language | French |
Synopsis
The film examines French hospitals through footage of operations and micro-camera images from inside the body, including views of blood vessels and organs.[2][3]
Production
The film takes its title from the 16th-century anatomy books of the Dutch physician Andreas Vesalius.[3] It was made using footage from invasive medical cameras inside patients’ bodies, filmed during around 400 operations in Paris hospitals. Images from the operation cameras were adapted for cinema projection.[4]
Reception
The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a “penetrating and profound documentary” and said its imagery was both “painful to watch” and “transfixingly beautiful”.[3] Variety praised the film as “searingly and sometimes hilariously humane”, and wrote that it turned the inside of the body into “an exquisite alien landscape”.[5] Filmdienst wrote that the film’s aesthetic approach created striking images that flirted with spectacle while also seeking to elicit emotional responses.[6]
Festival screenings
The film premiered in the Directors' Fortnight program at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.[7] It was later shown in the Wavelengths program at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival,[8] and in the main slate of the 2022 New York Film Festival.[9] In 2023, it was also screened at festivals including the Solothurn Film Festival, Docaviv, and the Taipei Film Festival.[2]