Synopsis

This animated poem treads between desperation and dark comedy. El Doctor takes place at the turn of the century in a crumbling Mexican hospital, inhabited by surreal characters, including a man shot with one hundred holes, a girl who has sprouted morning glories, and a woman who thinks she is a horse. The doctor in charge prefers to drink. The Saint of Emptiness and a mysterious gargoyle rearrange the Doctor's fated demise and send him on a journey of altered perspective. Taking over five years to complete, the film was entirely hand-painted by a small group of artists in Los Angeles and Mexico. The screenplay was written by Blue Kraning and the voices were recorded by non-professionals in Morelia, Mexico. The Doctor is played by José Luis Avalos and the Gargoyle is played by Los Angeles actor, Patrick Bauchau.

Preserved by the Academy Film Archive