Andrzej Wajda - Umarla klasa AKA The Dead Class (1976)

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Tadeusz Kantor’s theatre piece “The Dead Class” is to be considered a fundamental work of 20iest century theatre history. Childhood memories, remembrance and the omnipresent sentiment of death are the material for this “dramatic seance” (as Kantor himself called it) that is located in the corner of a dark and indefinite space at the light of a simple bulb.

IMDB comment by francescomaura:

I enjoyed Dead class very much, They told me Wajda was disappointed by his own work but I don't know why. Maybe is acting too loud? Maybe acting was supposed to be more mechanical, actors more unrelated between them, but I think that's an impressive performance all the same. Culture is useless, children are dead, they are already lonely adults, adults are ex- children who can't remember their childhood. They behave like obsessed robots. Obsessed by memories of questions with automatic replies, that is by questions with no replies, everyone submitted to a questioning authority, everyone pursuing one's own impulses. Tyranny and nihilism. They can't see any world beyond their impulses and authority rules over them totally unseen. Autorithy is Kantor himself: actors think they are free, they are just destructive. Dead class reminds me of Fight club but I think Dead class is far better. Fight club says destructive impulses are a way to freedom, Dead class says they help authority to rule. And I think Kantor is right.