Viva

The extras are fairly sparse, but of some interest.

The main feature is the ‘Making of’, and is a shade under eight minutes. It’s comprised of some behind the scenes footage, with commentary by Anna Biller. She’s very serious and technical, which seems somewhat at odds with the scenes being talked about. However, it does provide some insightful comments about the perils of being both the star and the director of the film.

The other chunky featurette is a fairly generic nine-minute piece, which showcases the best bit of Viva; the psychedelic animation sequence towards the end of the movie. But mostly it’s about the production company who helped make the film, and shows clips, along with commentary, on some other films made, distributed or having influence on them (including some time on Dario Argento).

The accompanying booklet contains an essay, Viva La Vita: Canapes, Cabaret and the Carnal, by Beth Johnson. It is interesting and full of insight, if written in an irritating popular academic style. The package is rounded out by a gallery of shots from the film and a trailer.