A young US Marine, recently back from the Gulf War, was found digging a grave for his murdered wife in the middle of the California Mojave. Inspired by this real event, Menkes turns the man’s arrest—a single moment in time—into a harrowing hallucinatory journey. Shot in North Africa and 29 Palms, California, The Bloody Child brings together Marines from Operation Desert Storm, playing themselves, with text from Shakespeare’s Macbeth to create a brutal and profound look at the desolation of violence. Newly restored, Menkes’ acclaimed third film was an official selection for the 2021 New York Film Festival. (Nina Menkes, USA, 1996, 86 min.)
New restoration by the Academy Film Archive and The Film Foundation, with funding provided by the Hobson / Lucas Family Foundation.