Stately in its composition, Zouan Kurtis’ latest short is a weird and wonderful adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Wonderland – A surreal tale plays out in large strokes the story laid before us in that delightful novel for the young at heart. Taking animated versions of the black and white illustrations Carroll prepared for his story, Wonderland – A surreal tale presents us with an unsettlingly silent manner of retelling.
Kurtis has chosen to allow the imagery to tell the story, rather than rely on any of the zany, madcap dialogue or narration available from the story. As Alice in Wonderland is a revered classic, this bold bet pays off magnificently. We sat there watching each well-known scene of the tale play out. From Alice’s first encounter with The White Rabbit, to the Mad Tea Party, to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, every well-known scene is there and accounted for.
“The delightful illustrations of Lewis Carroll’s stop motion animated to perfection.”
Wonderland — A surreal tale relies on the interplay between the visuals and the music compositions Kurtis has selected to edit into the proceedings. Apparently, an earlier version of this film exists somewhere in the ether, featuring a soundtrack fully composed by Zouan Kurtis. Here, in the ’25 version, he has chosen to use collaborators instead.
There exists a whimsical mad school of comedy in Greece, from where Kurtis hails. He, Yorgos Lanthimos, and others create surrealist comedy that resonates through time with the works of Luis Bunuel and his occasional collaborator Salvador Dali. There is a decidedly off-centered approach to the storytelling that calls to mind some of Bunuel’s surrealist masterpieces, especially Un Chienne Andalousie (The Andalusian Dog).
So, if you want a 20-minute acid trip of a film that features the delightful illustrations of Lewis Carroll’s stop motion animated to perfection, I would heartily recommend Wonderland – A surreal tale. It’s eye-opening in its delights.
"…Eye-opening in its delights."
