Tales From the Gimli Hospital

A truly surreal exercise from Canada's Guy Maddin, this eerie film is set in a remote Manitoba community. Two children, visiting their ailing mother in the hospital, are relayed the story (told mostly sans dialogue) of an early-1900s smallpox outbreak and the strange rivalry between two men quarantined in the same building. Shadowy visuals and religious imagery make for a disturbing drama. Kyle McCulloch and Michael Gottli star. 68 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; audio commentary by Maddin; bonus shorts "The Dead Father" (1985), "Hospital Fragment" (2000).