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Nolan's first nightmare: 5 minutes of arachnid dread shot on Super 8 with his brothers.
TMDB
53
IMDb
51

Tarantella (1989)

lo-fi nightmare fuelbrotherhood of terrorstudent film energy

Overview

Horror

"Tarantella" was an early Super 8 short film directed by Christopher Nolan with his childhood friend Roko Belic. It was made in 1989 while Nolan was studying at University College London. The film aired on "Image Union," a PBS programme in Chicago. It is about the suffering of a young man while he has nightmare about spiders and demons.

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Content warning
short filmspiderdarknesssurreal

Standout Aspects

Direction

Early signs of Nolan's obsession with fractured perception.

Practical Effects

DIY horror effects that somehow still crawl under your skin.

Best for:Solo: Late-night curiosity viewing for Nolan completists only.·Rewatch: After you've memorized every frame of his later films.
Heads up:Disturbing: Spider imagery and demonic figures throughout.
Roko Belic

Director

Roko Belic

ReleasedSep 12, 1989
Runtime5m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelmedium
WTTW/Chicago
UCL Film Society

Top Cast

Roko Belic

Roko Belic

Young Man

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan

Man in Black

Jonathan Nolan

Jonathan Nolan

Man in White

Ask about Tarantella

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Nolan and Belic spent their teenage years shooting shorts together; this was their first to air on television.

Cultural

'Image Union' was Chicago's legendary experimental film showcase—imagine PBS airing your dorm room nightmare.

Gallery

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