“Excutive produced by David Lynch, Michael Almereyda’s Nadja is a postmodern arthouse reimagining of the Dracula myth, set against the gritty backdrop of 1990s New York City. The film follows estranged vampire twins Nadja (Elina Löwensohn) and Edgar (a young Jared Harris) as they reunite after their father is killed by the flamboyantly unhinged Van Helsing, played with relish by Peter Fonda. Driven by the hope that their father’s death might free them from vampirism, Nadja steals his ashes and hatches a plan to heal her ailing brother.
Almereyda’s Nadja twists familiar characters from the classic novel — Lucy, her husband Jim (Martin Donovan), Cassandra (Suzy Amis), and the deranged Renfield — into a shadowy urban tableau. The film’s striking visual language combines crisp, high contrast black-and-white 35mm cinematography with the grainy, oneiric aesthetic of a Fisher-Price Pixelvision toy camcorder, inviting viewers into the fragmented interior world of its vampire protagonists.” -Robyn Citizen, Toronto International Film Festival
The original Director’s Cut of Nadja was digitally restored by Arbelos and Grasshopper Film from the only extant element, the 35mm answer print—the version of the film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1994, three minutes longer than the commercial release. Laboratory services by OCN Labs, Five Seventy Films, Ben Gilbert Films, David Ferron and Blackhawk Films. Special thanks to Michael Almereyda and Absurda.
