The Dance of the Paroxysms

An experimental film very influenced by the French Impressionist Cinema. It is inspired by the poem Les Elfes by Leconte de Lisle, following the journey of a Knight (Gonthramm) in search for the Holy Grail. He wishes to get back to his lover, Galeswinthe, but the Queen Banschi gets in his way… Queen Banschi is a terrible creature, capable of killing anyone only by touching its heart. The Dance of the Paroxysms is a radical visual experience in Portuguese cinema, with a very innovative use of the faux raccord, the moving camera, the image overlapping. According to José de Matos Cruz (1999), The Dance of the Paroxysms is the first Portuguese film to use the technique of panchromatic emulsion.