Daisies

Dazzling 1966 film from the Czech new wave about two girls on a dadaist rampage.

“If everything’s spoiled… we’ll be spoiled too,” declare the insatiable heroines of Daisies, as they embark on a dadaist rampage across Czech society. Made in 1966 in a spirit of try-everything-and-see-what-works, Vera Chytilova’s landmark film skilfully avoids making any obvious kind of sense, but there’s a sharp political edge to its portrayal of apathetic youth, male lechery and imminent apocalypse. Visually, its crazy colour palette and cut-up style still astonish.

Earlier this year, Trish Keenan of Birmingham group Broadcast died aged 42. Daisies was one of Trish’s favourite films, and this screening is dedicated to her. All proceeds will be donated to Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, a charity specialising in the transformative and communicative power of music for children and adults constrained by illness, disability, trauma or isolation.