NYFF 2015: Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson on "The Forbidden Room"

Guy Maddin has been crafting whimsically sick dreamscapes for adventurous cinephiles for over 20 years, but nothing he's done could prepare you for "The Forbidden Room." A singularly hilarious series of vignettes about family abandonment, it feels like a Christmas gift wrapped inside twenty Christmas gifts. With the help of former student Evan Johnson (a talented artist who shockingly seems to be Maddin's equal in wit and perversity), Maddin has created his most satisfyingly rich work to date. I asked them about their collaboration and how Maddin's career has led to this moment. They have the rapport of an old married couple, or at least a pair of Howard Hawks characters.