#34 - The Nightmare

Director Rodney Ascher (ROOM 237) discusses his new film THE NIGHTMARE on today's episode. For his highly anticipated follow-up to 2012's ROOM 237, the director turned his attention to the terrifying subject of sleep paralysis. In the film, he interviews eight people who suffer from the affliction, and he cross-cuts their interviews with vivid reenactments of the nightmares they describe. The result is an intense experience that evokes the overwhelming fear that consumes the storytellers. The film opened here at The Film Society of Lincoln Center last Friday and is now playing daily. On opening night, while a packed house enjoyed the film, we sat down with the director in our greenroom to discuss it. Our conversation started with the director's own experience with sleep paralysis, and from there we touched on subjects like artifice, visual influences, and the supernatural. This podcast is brought to you by The Film Society of Lincoln Center. Film Lives Here. www.filmlinc.com