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Drama Cult Classic

A surreal descent into madness within the walls of an 18th-century asylum.

DAY OF THE IDIOTS

1981 · 1h 50m · NR · Drama / Fantasy · IMDB TMDB
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Quick Answer
What is Day of the Idiots about?

Day of the Idiots is a 1981 German drama-fantasy film directed by Werner Schroeter about a young woman who experiences psychic disintegration and is committed to a peculiar psychiatric hospital.

Details & Specs
Director
Werner Schroeter
Writers
Dana Horaková, Werner Schroeter
Release
1981
Runtime
1h 50m
Country
Germany
Language
German
Genres
Drama, Fantasy
Also Known As
Le jour des idiots, El día de los idiotas, Day of the Idiots, Original title: Tag der Idioten

Overview

Day of the Idiots follows the psychological unraveling of a twenty-year-old woman who finds herself admitted to a psychiatric hospital. The asylum, evoking the cold and confining architecture of an 18th-century prison, is populated by doctors whose eccentric behaviors give them as much in common with the patients as with their profession. The film explores the blurred line between sanity and madness, delving into the surreal world of institutional life and the subjective nature of reality. With a strong female protagonist navigating a landscape of existential despair and emotional turmoil, the film offers an atmospheric and unsettling journey into the mind's twilight zones.

Why Cult

Asylum Surrealism

The film's psychiatric hospital setting is as much a character as its inhabitants—an 18th-century prison-like structure teeming with surreal imagery.

Female Protagonist in Crisis

Carole Bouquet leads as a woman battling psychic disintegration, highlighting themes of existential loneliness and the search for meaning.

Boundary-Blurring Characters

Doctors and patients mirror each other's madness, questioning who is truly sane and who is not.

Provocative Psychosexual Imagery

The film explores taboo and transgressive subjects—from nudity to urophilia—pushing the boundaries of cinematic depiction.

Cast & Crew

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Director: Werner Schroeter Writers: Dana Horaková +1 more
Carole Bouquet Carole Bouquet Carole Ingrid Caven Ingrid Caven Dr. Laura Christine Kaufmann Christine Kaufmann Ruth Ida Di Benedetto Ida Di Benedetto Elisabeth Carola Regnier Carola Regnier Ninon Marie-Luise Marjan Marie-Luise Marjan Marjan Magdalena Montezuma Magdalena Montezuma Zigeunerin HK Hermann Killmeyer Markus Mostefa Djadjam Mostefa Djadjam Alexander EU Ellen Umlauf Dana Medřická Dana Medřická TK Tamara Kafka FS Fritz Schediwy Jana Plichtová Jana Plichtová GS George Stamkoski Himself Ula Stöckl Ula Stöckl US Ursula Strätz AT Anette Tirier ZZ Zoe Zag

Scene Gallery

Trailers & Clips

Questions from the Vault

What is Day of the Idiots about? +

Day of the Idiots is a 1981 German drama-fantasy film directed by Werner Schroeter about a young woman who experiences psychic disintegration and is committed to a peculiar psychiatric hospital.

Who directed Day of the Idiots? +

Day of the Idiots was directed by Werner Schroeter.

How long is Day of the Idiots? +

Day of the Idiots has a runtime of 110 minutes.

What genre is Day of the Idiots? +

Day of the Idiots is a drama and fantasy film.

Where can I watch Day of the Idiots? +

Day of the Idiots is available to stream on SassyFlix.

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