Cat Swallows Parakeet and Speaks!

A gothic romp through a crumbling hospital. The last time you saw a tabloid, maybe the headline read “Man Gives Birth to Nine-Pound Baby Girl,” or perhaps, “Melt Fat Away As You Eat Your Favorite Foods!” Taking such absurd claims as its starting point, “Cat Swallows Parakeet and Speaks!” puts the “Arabian Nights” saga through a surreal feminist revision. In the classic tale, a mythical character must tell stories to survive a man who is trying to murder her and all other women. In this version, Scheherazade is a strikingly beautiful model recovering in hospital after an ulcer operation. She becomes increasingly convinced that her inept doctor, aptly named Dr. Storey, is trying to kill her and the only way to survive is to tell him stories. Yet she is at a loss for words. As Scheherazade’s stay is prolonged she grows desperate for tales and seeks the help of Kore, a trashy, tabloid-reading fellow patient. Initially irritated by Kore’s willingness to believe whatever rags print, Scheherazade gets drawn in by her need for a few good yarns. Slowly the two women grow closer, telling the preposterous tales from the tabloids in an effort to escape Dr. Storey. Meanwhile, the hospital around them is turned inside-out by the very characters whose stories they have been relating. Beautifully shot in the abandoned building of a former insane asylum, this film combines black and white, colour and High 8 images, along with great performances to stunning results. “An intriguing experimental narrative that explores female body issues within the bounds of expressionist whimsy. The mixed morbidity, fantasticism and quirky humor works surprisingly well. Pietrobruono has a real eye, with handsomely composed imagery. Atmosphere is dreamlike, often poetical … with several oddly sensuous set-pieces.” – Dennis Harvey, Variety “… combines B&W, colour, and Hi8 images, along with great performances, to stunning results. Part feminist fable, part surreal dream, and part horror flick, this hallucinatory first feature shows Pietrobruno is a director full of promise.” Liz Czach, Toronto International Film Festival