There is no shortage of documentaries on the topic of cinema, but films as entertaining and thought-provoking as The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006) are few and far between. The reasons behind the film’s appeal are two-fold: the charismatic presence of Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek and his appearance on reconstructed movie sets, bringing his entertaining analysis to life.

Although Žižek made a name for himself as a cultural critic, he is also a noted cinephile. Flapping his elbows and drenched in sweat, he uses the Marxist dialectic and Lacanian psychoanalysis to provide a witty analysis of masterpieces by iconic filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, David Lynch, and Andrei Tarkovsky, as well as explore the deeper meaning of films such as The Exorcist (1973), The Conversation (1974), and Alien (1979).

The screening on 19 October will be followed by a talk in Cantonese with Hong Kong writer and film critic Long Tin, moderated by M+ Curator-at-large of Hong Kong Film and Media Li Cheuk-to.

Sophie Fiennes (b.1967, England) is a director and producer who studied at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. She worked with Peter Greenaway for several years before directing her own documentaries. Her formally inventive approach often combines observational documentary with performance film. Her filmography includes The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema (2006), Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow (2010), The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012), Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017), and Four Quartets (2022).