This film is part of Free
The Madness of the Dance
From biting nuns to twitching schoolgirls, a professor (Maxine Peake) takes us on a musical journey through mass hysteria.
Drama 2006 17 mins
Overview
In the middle ages, there was an outbreak of dancing manias in Europe that lasted hundreds of years. In the 20th century, thousands of Chinese men and some women thought that their genitalia was vanishing, while schoolgirls in Belgium thought that they were being poisoned by a certain brand of fizzy drink. Looking at these various cases, and more, the professor (Maxine Peake) takes us on a musical journey through mass hysteria.
This short from Carol Morley can be seen as a companion piece to her later feature from 2014, The Falling, about an unexplained epidemic at a girls' school.
Subjects
Related
Carol Morley
The Fear of Trilogy The Fear of Trilogy
Comedy 2006 3 mins
Maxine Peake stars in a short film about three fears - birds, falling, sleepwalking - shot and edited by Carol Morley on a mobile phone, in a single day.
Stalin My Neighbøur Stalin My Neighbøur
Drama 2004 15 mins
Carol Morley's short about a woman who's obsessed with local history, while trying to forget her own past.
Girl Girl
Drama 1993 7 mins
Carol Morley's debut short uses the stylistic devices of the melodrama to explore the story of a girl's relationship with her father.
Secondhand Daylight Secondhand Daylight
Drama 1993 9 mins
Carol Morley's graduation short in which a selection of twenty-somethings talk about their troubles.
The Week Elvis Died The Week Elvis Died
Drama 1997 16 mins
Eleven-year-old Karen meets king of the airwaves, Tony Blackburn (played by himself) in Carol Morley's bittersweet short.
Return Trip Return Trip
Documentary 2001 24 mins
Carol Morley tracks down her old friend Catherine Corcoran and returns to India where they once travelled as teenagers.
New
Saab: New Delivery Saab: New Delivery
Advert 1985 2 mins
Take a fighter jet, a Top Gun pilot with sunglasses and a brand new SAAB 900 and you have a sure-fire vehicle to launch a Hollywood career.
The Lost Highway The Lost Highway
Promotional 2019 10 mins
A wandering warrior dreams of a new form of expression, in this promo for UNKLE’s album The Road: Part II / Lost Highway Pt. II directed by Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones.
Colour on the Thames Colour on the Thames
1935 16 mins
A rare glimpse of 1930s London in colour: the Thames has never looked lovelier.
What's Missing from this Picture? What's Missing from this Picture?
Advert 1946 1 mins Silent
Life is looking up! The war is over and the “Corona” Man can visit his “Corona” families once more, door-to-door.
Fun at Rhyl Fun at Rhyl
Advert 1962 0 mins Location: Rhyl
Cinema advertisement for Marine Lake & Ocean Beach, Rhyl, a popular destination for crowds set on a day's fun on free rides.
Local Cinema Advertisements - Blaenau Ffestiniog and Merthyr Local Cinema Advertisements - Blaenau Ffestiniog and Merthyr
Advert 1942 7 mins Silent Location: Blaenau Ffestiniog
Who could deny these advertising claims: "Attractive hair is the ambition of every woman", and "Your family will enjoy Lincoln potatoes"?