Peter Greenaway's 'Goltzius et la Compagnie du Pélican' Released February 5, 2014

Peter Greenaway's film 'Goltzius et la Compagnie du Pélican' premiered in theaters on February 5, 2014. The work continues his series on painters, following 'Nightwatching' about Rembrandt. It centers on Hendrik Goltzius (1558-1617), a Dutch engraver with a partially paralyzed right hand who became a key image mediator during Mannerism. The film unfolds in six episodes referencing biblical scenes, mirroring Goltzius's six plates imitating six masters. Greenaway uses digital compositing and split-screen techniques, contrasting an informational canvas with a naturalistic window. The narrative follows Goltzius seeking funds to open a printing press, staging erotic biblical allegories for the Margrave of Alsace. Key themes include sexuality, death, and the relationship between text and image, with the hand as an 'admonisher' figure. The film features a character Thomas Boethius, a playwright decapitated in the final scene, referencing Salome. Greenaway explores cinema's crisis in the digital age through painting and biblical imagery.