Christopher Nolan recently completed a script for his next feature film and naturally we have no idea what the movie is actually about. But that doesn't mean the world has to wait all that long to see a new Christopher Nolan movie. In fact, there's a new Nolan movie world premiering in August.

But it's probably not the kind of movie you're expecting from the guy who makes megabudget blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Interstellar.

 

What's it called?

Quay. Just Quay.

 

Quay? Sounds like it might be sci-fi.

Nope, it's a documentary. A short documentary, to be precise.

 

What's it about?

Identical twin filmmakers Stephen and Timothy Quay (aka the Brothers Quay), who have made features, including The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, but are best known for a career dedicated to making stop-motion short films that are widely acclaimed not just for their use of meticulously crafted animation, but for rarely having spoken dialogue.

Why is Christopher Nolan making a movie about these guys?

The short answer: He's a fan.

The sarcastic answer: He's trying to figure out how to make a movie where nobody talks about the plot and their own motivations every five minutes.

The long answer: Nolan is a massive supporter of the art of filmmaking, with a particular emphasis on the word film in this case. Everyone knows that Nolan is one of the last big defenders of shooting movies on actual film instead of using digital cameras, but he also believes that older films are something that should be cherished and preserved. In this case, those films happen to be short, obscure, hard-to-see art films made by two brothers, and so he's made his own short film dedicated to championing their work.

Where can I see Quay?

Quay will be having its world premiere at the Film Forum in New York City as part of its showcase "The Quay Brothers - On 35 MM." This program includes not just Nolan's film, but three of the Brothers Quay's films of Nolan's choosing. To quote the program's guide: 

"...feature broken pencils and lead shavings in IN ABSENTIA (2000; “a dazzling piece of work” – The Guardian); a porcelain doll’s explorations of a dreamer’s imagination in THE COMB (1991; “most beautiful of their recent films” – The New Yorker); and the nightmarish netherworld of STREET OF CROCODILES (1986; “their crowning achievement” – Film Comment)"

 

What if I don't live in New York City?

"The Quay Brothers - On 35 MM" will be going on tour to different cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland, Cambridge, Detroit, Seattle and Chicago. You can find that schedule info here.

 

What if I don't live in any of those cities?

You got to hope Quay is included on a Zeitgeist Films' release of the Quay brothers' films on Blu-ray when it hits shelves later this year. It probably will be, but it couldn't hurt to contact Zeitgest and request that it be included.