IFC Midnight has just released the new trailer for Peter Strickland's newest film Flux Gourmet. The film, written and directed by Strickland, is set in an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance with a collective finding themselves "embroiled in power struggles, artistic vendettas, and gastrointestinal disorders." Featuring a cast led by Asa Butterfield, Gwendoline Christie, and Richard Bremmer, the movie is due to release in select theaters and on digital/VOD on June 24, and you can watch the trailer below.
Along with Butterfield, Christie, and Bremmer, the film stars Ariane Labed, Fatma Mohamed, Makis Papadimitriou, and Leo Bill. You can read the official synopsis for Flux Gourmet below.
"A sonic collective who can’t decide on a name takes up a residency at an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance. The members Elle di Elle, Billy Rubin and Lamina Propria are caught up in their own power struggles, only their dysfunctional dynamic is furthermore exacerbated when they have to answer to the institute’s head, Jan Stevens. With the various rivalries unfolding, Stones, the Institute’s ‘dossierge’ has to privately endure increasingly fraught stomach problems whilst documenting the collective’s activities. Upon hearing of Stones's visits to the gastroenterologist, Dr Glock, Elle coerces him into her performances in a desperate bid for authenticity. The reluctant Stones puts up with the collective’s plans to use his condition for their art whilst Jan Stevens goes to war with Elle over creative differences."
Serena Armitage and Pietro Greppi produced Flux Gourmet. Executive producers include Stephen Kelliher, Sophie Green, Arianna Bocco, Betsy Rodgers, Phil Hunt, Compton Ross, and Ian Benson.
Flux Gourmet Is Part Robert Bresson, Part Spinal Tap
“Flux Gourmet originally started as a satire on artists and their complex relationship with the institutes that fund their work," Peter Strickland said of the movie. "I tried to remain neutral and look at both perspectives offering both sympathy and ridicule. Whilst exploring the month-long residency of an art collective that deal with food, I became interested in the idea of taboo and shock value in art, which in this context opened up the dark side of the stomach and the bowels. This eventually led to the story of a man in the institute suffering from very private and embarrassing stomach problems - the kind of problems many people suffer from, but are sometimes too embarrassed to mention even to a doctor."
He added, "The influences for Flux Gourmet are Robert Bresson's films with his solemn and almost religious voice-overs, Rob Reiner's Spinal Tap for the rock n' roll clichés, the Viennese Aktionists for the corporeal shock value and Marcel Marceau for his mime work. The time and place are not specified in order to enhance the film’s dream-like nature. Ultimately, through the use of performance art and avant-garde music, I want to reveal a very human story about problems that people are often too embarrassed to talk about, but hopefully many of us can relate to regardless of how healthy or unhealthy our stomachs are. Within the seriousness, I also wanted to present a somewhat silly world exploring creative conflict, rejection, power and the dilemmas facing both artists and their patrons.”
Flux Gourmet will be released in select theaters and on digital/VOD on June 24.