11 Years Before ‘Memento,’ Christopher Nolan Directed a Film Almost No One Has Seen

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11 Years Before ‘Memento,’ Christopher Nolan Directed a Film Almost No One Has Seen

Collider · 22 hours ago

Before "Memento" made him famous, Christopher Nolan directed a little-known 1989 short film called "Tarantella," an early curiosity for fans now used to the polished, big-budget spectacle of his recent work, including his adaptation of "The Odyssey." Co-directed with Roko Belic while Nolan was starting out in the UK, the short offers a glimpse of the director in his rawest, most amateurish form, long before he developed the intricate, time-bending style that would define his career.

"Tarantella" is a plotless, surrealist piece featuring imagery of spiders and demons, drawing clear comparisons to the dreamlike work of David Lynch. It stars Nolan himself, in his only on-screen acting role, alongside his brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan Nolan, playing two tormented young men. The film is notoriously hard to find, occasionally surfacing on fan forums before being removed for copyright reasons, though the piece argues its experimental approach still hints at Nolan's later interest in unconventional film language.

  • Christopher Nolan made a little-seen 1989 short film called "Tarantella"
  • It's a plotless, Lynch-inspired surrealist piece about two haunted men
  • Nolan and brother Jonathan star; the film is rarely available online

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