Gargantua is a short film inspired by the outrageous 16th-century novel by monk, surgeon, and writer François Rabelais. Voltaire once called the original book “the worst filth ever vomited up by a drunken monk,” and the film happily lives up to that wild reputation. Each scene in Gargantua uses a different visual technique – from typewriter drawings to stop-motion animation – creating a feast of shifting styles and textures.

While Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel tells the tale of two giants who devour armies and swallow knowledge as they roam the known and unknown world, this film takes a more playful detour. It doesn’t retell the story so much as reinvent its spirit. Every frame of Gargantua was hand-drawn by Stephen Crowe, who also composed the original score. The film features contributions from Stephen Fry, Jonathan Meades, Radhika Apte, and Sarah Perry.

One-off screening plus Q&A with director Stephen Crowe. All tickets cost £5 and includes a free drink.