If I Should Die Before I Wake

media release: Argentina | 1952 | 35mm | 73 min. | Spanish with English subtitles

Director: Carlos Hugo Christensen

Cast: Néstor Zavarce, Blanco del Prado, Floren Delbene

Sworn to an oath of secrecy, a frightened schoolboy is determined to track down an abductor of children without telling any adults or police. Expressionistically told from the child’s point of view, this marvelous and visually arresting Argentine thriller is an adaptation of a short story by Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window). Director Christensen’s style recalls Fritz Lang’s M and anticipates Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter. 35mm restored print courtesy UCLA Film & Television Archive and Film Noir Foundation.

Admission free for all screenings, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times. Please visit our website for a complete listing of programs and descriptions.