Film Fest Gent - Videodroom 2026: Alex Zhang Hungtai x 'The Last Movie': Dates, Cities & Tickets

Experience the raw, unfiltered genius of Dennis Hopper’s legendary lost masterpiece, *The Last Movie, brought to life at Film Fest Gent, Videodroom 2026* with a brand‑new live score by avant‑garde composer Alex Zhang Hungtai (Dirty Beaches). For the first time in almost 50 years, this 1971 U.S. film, 108 minutes of pungent, hallucinatory cinema, will be screened, accompanying the extraordinary talents of Julie Adams, Daniel Ades, Richmond L. Aguilar, John Alderman, Peter Fonda, Samuel Fuller and many more, under the visionary camera work of László Kovács and produced by Paul Lewis.

Directed by Dennis Hopper himself and co‑written with New Hollywood icon Stewart Stern, *The Last Movie* is a self‑reflective, mythological deconstruction of filmmaking. While a Hollywood crew negotiates a western shoot in a dissected Peruvian village, Hopper’s tormented stuntman, Kansas (played by Hopper), lingers to seek redemption in a surreal blend of isolation and intimate encounters with a former sex worker. As the indigenous villagers claim the abandoned set, they ritualize the film’s narrative, casting Kansas as their sacrificial lamb, an unsettling commentary on colonial exploitation and the very nature of storytelling.

A product of absolute creative freedom, shot on an audacious $40,000 budget after the massive success of Easy Rider, the film’s fearless palette of cocaine, LSD, and sheer bravado turns it into a living, breathing collage of pop art, French Nouvelle Vague influences, and the abstract strokes of Bruce Conner. Though its Venice Film Festival special prize couldn't prevent Hollywood’s excommunication of its maker, the film has never lost its relevance, standing as a bold, innovative document of New Hollywood’s darkest creative impulses.

Alex Zhang Hungtai, the multidisciplinary improvisational artist now channeling his focus into saxophone, drums, and electronic explorations, will deliver a live musical experience that dialogues with the film’s frenetic vision. His journey from Dirty Beaches to film soundtrack composer ensures a soundtrack that mirrors the film’s restless spirit.

Join us for an unforgettable night of cinematic history and sonic experimentation, where past, present, and improvisation collide. Register now for tickets and experience the untamed allure of *The Last Movie* like never before.