Begotten stands alone as a singular work of avant-garde horror and pure art cinema which Susan Sontag described as “”One of the most important films of modern times.” Shot in black and white on 16mm reversal film, then rephotographed frame by frame through neutral-density filters, it took four years to complete. In the film, God Killing Himself tears open his body and dies. Mother Earth rises from what remains and takes his seed into herself. She gives birth to Son of Earth — Flesh on Bone. He is cast into a barren world, seized by the Nomads, tortured, killed, and briefly returned to life by his mother.

This new 4K restoration brings director E. Elias Merhige’s vision back from obscurity as he presents his work as he intended. “If you’re squeamish you should avoid this like the plague; others may find it hard to shake off the artistry and originality of this visionary effort. And if you’re looking to be freaked out you shouldn’t pass it up.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader