Talk by Peter Forshaw, in collaboration with Allard Pierson
Discover the age-old secrets of alchemy in the special collection of the Allard Pierson Museum. This collection contains a part of the so-called Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, a unique collection of 10,000 manuscripts and printed works on the Hermetic tradition. Here you can read about the mysteries of the Rosicrucians, Kabbalah, Freemasons and the Holy Grail, among others. Peter Forshaw, Assistant Professor of Western Esotericism at the University of Amsterdam who specializes in the relationship between alchemy and magic, will conjure up the most beautiful jewels from the archives and reveal their secrets. See these authentic documents, which are almost never seen by the public, with your own eyes! After this stunning presentation you will watch a magical program of the most beautiful alchemical short films, selected by Imagine Fantastic Film Festival.
Programme
Introduction (5 min)
Talk by Peter Forshaw (30 min)
Q&A (10 min)
Festival film selection (60 min)
The Alchemist (Robert Gwisdek, 2023, Germany, 10 min)
A man examines his hand, utterly fascinated by its abilities, as it imparts enigmatic instructions to him. Evidently, his hand seeks to resolve the eternal dispute between chaos and order, compelling the man to earnestly strive to fulfill its enigmatic directives.
Poppy’s Saturn (Nicole Tegelaar, 2023, The Netherlands, 15 min)
When nightclub singer Poppy is confronted with a black-eyed man, she is overcome by fear. In a colorful world, full of larger-than-life characters and kaleidoscopic glittercore, Poppy will eventually find a way to get closer to herself. Poppy’s Saturn is a musical and experimental, dreamlike film about processing trauma.
Alegrías Riojanas (César Velasco Broca, 2022, Spain, 28 min)
An ophthalmologist’s confession is interrupted when the priest leaves for an emergency. After his postponed absolution, he is fatally hit by a car. From that moment on, his immortal soul is cast into a medieval looking purgatory populated by grotesque creatures.