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Surreal cult comedy THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD (2003)

January 29, 2026 : 7:00 pm 9:00 pm

“Hilariously odd and prodigiously inventive, it springs from the eccentric mind of Guy Maddin, whose delirious visions have earned this singular Canadian filmmaker an international cult following.” – Newsweek

Only the mind of Guy Maddin could conjure up THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD, in which a double-amputee beer baroness who wears aquarium legs filled with ale (Isabella Rossellini) invites musicians of all nations to compete in a grand competition to find the world’s most sorrowful tune. And if all that weren’t weird enough for you, the film also packs in sleepwalkers, nymphomaniacs, a talking tapeworm, and hockey teams who break into spontaneous serenades. The only thing zanier than the plot is Maddin’s style, a delirious jumble of silent-film Expressionism, pre-Code-era camp, and a surreally comic tone all Maddin’s own. Kids in the Hall star Mark McKinney is hilarious as the fast-talking swindler representing America, while Isabella Rossellini is truly delicious as the “Beer Queen of the Prairie.” Criminally underseen since it’s initial release, THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD is a true gem for lovers of the wonderfully outlandish and hilariously bizarre.