JOHN LILLY AND THE EARTH COINCIDENCE CONTROL OFFICE
2025, 89′
Director: MICHAEL ALMEREYDA, COURTNEY STEPHENS
Country: USA
Distributor: Michael Almereyda, Courtney Stephens
Language: OV English with Italian subtitles
A film retraces the controversial life of American scientist John C. Lilly: from sensory deprivation experiments to attempts at communicating with dolphins, from the use of psychedelic substances to the eccentric theories of the Earth Coincidence Control Office. Through archival footage, interviews, and home movies, a multifaceted portrait emerges, shedding light on lesser-known aspects of his work and revealing a man whose ideas left a mark on both scientific and cultural discourse.
With a style that blurs the line between art documentary and visual essay, Michael Almereyda and Courtney Stephens construct a hypnotic journey that feels like a deep immersion session. Accompanied by the narrating voice of Chloë Sevigny, John Lilly and the Earth Coincidence Control Office avoids hagiographic representation, offering a complex portrayal of Lilly, suspended between scientific rigor and hallucinatory visions. A superb exploration of the boundary between science, pseudoscience, and cultural imagination, the film immerses the audience in the visionary world of a remarkable scientist.
The screening will be followed by a conversation between directors Michael Almereyda, Courtney Stephens, and Sergio Fant, co-artistic director of Archivio Aperto in Bologna.