The Decade List: The Heart of the World (2000)

The Heart of the World – dir. Guy Maddin

The Heart of the World might just be the greatest thing Guy Maddin has ever done, which doesn’t speak poorly on any of his other work as it’s just that wonderful. In quick succession, we meet two brothers, a mortician (Caelum Vatnsdal) and an actor playing Jesus in a Passion play (Greg Klymkiw), in love with the same woman, scientist Anna (Leslie Bais) who’s studying the earth’s core only to discover the world is dying of congestive heart failure! I bet you won’t guess what’ll end up saving the world. It’s not love, but that’s the only clue I’ll give you. Love triangles, evil capitalism, phallic rockets, creationist debating, heart attacks and the apocalypse all add up to Maddin’s masterpiece. If you can’t find it somewhere online, it’s available as part of Zeitgeist’s Guy Maddin Collection.

With: Leslie Bais, Caelum Vatnsdal, Shaun Balbar, Greg Klymkiw
Screenplay: Guy Maddin
Cinematography: Guy Maddin
Music: Georgy Sviridov
Country of Origin: Canada
US Distributor: Zeitgeist

Premiere: September 2000 (Toronto International Film Festival)

Awards: Golden Gate Award, Short Narrative (San Francisco International Film Festival); FIPRESCI Prize, Short Subject (Miami Film Festival)