The Grand Illusion

At the close of the ‘70s, eminent auteur Jess Franco revisited the works of the Marquis de Sade to create what EuroSleaze historians have called one of the most sexually daring and boldly creative films of his entire career, SINFONÍA ERÓTICA (EROTIC SYMPHONY). When an unstable noblewoman (a fearless performance by Lina Romay) returns to her lavish estate, she will find herself – along with her libertine husband, his male lover, and a young nun with a craving for violation – trapped in a web of unholy hungers and decadent perversions. Susan Hemingway co-stars in this sonata of artsy depravity, featuring a darkly psychedelic score by Franco & Franz Liszt. Reality and fantasy will blur within the confines of this zany haunted house, one that will at times leave the viewer, along with the characters, unsure of what they are witnessing.

In Spanish with English subtitles. Transferred in 4k from an uncut 35mm print donated by The Instituto de la Sexualidad Humana in Madrid. Part of Francomania, a never-ending tour celebrating writer/director Jess Franco, presented by Severin Films and Chicago’s Oscarbate Film Collective.

Get there early! Severin Films will have a pop-up shop in the lobby before the screening, starting at 6:30pm.