The 2551 Trilogy - 4-Disc Deluxe Limited Edition - Blu-ray

Content Advisory:
These films contain intense imagery, including simulated scenes of violence and other disturbing material. They also feature strobe lighting and stroboscopic visual effects. Viewer discretion is advised. Intended for mature audiences.

DELUXE LIMITED EDITION (2000 UNITS)

2551.01: “The Kid” / 2551.02: “The "Orgee" of the Damned” / 2551.03: “The End”

THE 2551 TRILOGY

Imagine a post-apocalyptic world of superstition, strange rituals, and distorted civilization hidden deep underground. Austrian artist and director Norbert Pfaffenbichler’s 2551 Trilogy blends avant-garde filmmaking with dystopian science fiction, surreal horror imagery, and silent cinema techniques. All three films unfold without dialogue, using stylized color tinting, elaborate masks, and atmospheric sound design to tell their stories.

Shot inside abandoned World War II bunkers in Vienna, the trilogy creates a vast subterranean labyrinth inhabited by unusual characters, masked figures, and remnants of a fallen society. Pfaffenbichler’s work draws inspiration from experimental cinema, silent film traditions, and the visual imagination of artists like the Brothers Quay and Jan Švankmajer.

This ambitious trilogy mixes post-apocalyptic storytelling, experimental visuals, and industrial-influenced soundscapes into a cinematic experience unlike anything else.

2551.01 – THE KID

(2021 • 65 min.)

During a violent uprising, the mysterious Apeman (Stefan Erber) escapes with a young child known only as The Kid (David Ionescu). Wearing a crude burlap mask and carrying a strange doll, the child becomes the Apeman’s unlikely companion as they travel through a hostile underground world populated by the remnants of a collapsed civilization.

2551.02 – THE "ORGEE" OF THE DAMNED

(2023 • 83 min.)

Separated from The Kid, the Apeman wanders through a maze-like subterranean realm filled with strange rituals and masked inhabitants while searching for his lost companion. Meanwhile, The Kid (Juri Föger) is drawn into the rigid structure of a powerful authoritarian system.

2551.03 – THE END

(2025 • 82 min.)

Years later, the Apeman continues his search for the now-grown Kid, who has become an inspector serving the ruling authority. As the underground world grows even more surreal, the Apeman undergoes a mysterious transformation that leads to a final confrontation with the forces controlling this dystopian society.

Special Features

• Seven experimental short films by Norbert Pfaffenbichler (1998–2019)
• Santora
• Notes on Film 1: Else
• Notes on Film 4: Intermezzo
• Notes on Film 5: Conference
• Notes on Film 9: Odessa’s Crash Test
• Notes on Film 10: Camera
• Notes on Noise 01: Hoffman’s Hymn

• Four video interviews with director Norbert Pfaffenbichler, actor Stefan Erber, cinematographer Martin Putz, and VFX artist Paul Lechmann
• Interview with Pfaffenbichler conducted by filmmaker Reinert Kiil
• “Don’t Let It Fester: (Anti)Sentimentality in 2551.01” – Visual essay by Ryan Verrill and Dr. Will Dodson
• “Angel of the Abject: The 2551 Trilogy as a Necropolis of Cinema” – Visual essay by filmmaker and scholar Stephen Broomer
• Audio commentaries by Shelagh Rowan-Legg, Eva Létourneau, Anne Golden, and Mike White (The Projection Booth)
• Jam of the Damned: Behind the Scenes of 2551.03 featurette
• Behind-the-scenes VFX reel narrated by Paul Lechmann
• Two deleted scenes from 2551.03: The End
• Soundtrack selections from all three films
• Three trailers
• Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie (Fidelity In Motion)
• New artwork by Beth Morris

Deluxe Edition Bonus Content

• Slipcase featuring new artwork by J.G. Jones
• 80-page illustrated book including:

• New essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• New essay by Walter Chaw
• New Q&A with director Norbert Pfaffenbichler by film historian Rolf Giesen
• Collection of behind-the-scenes photographs

Limited Edition of 2000 units