‘Zeder’ or — Leaving You Grinning?

For a supposed zombie horror film there are many things that Pupi Avati’s ‘Zeder’ (1983) is not: it’s not gory, shocking, action-packed, violent and contains almost zero zombies. In fact, nearly all the expected horror elements have been stripped out entirely. So what does that leave? And, more importantly, what makes ‘Zeder’ such a delightfully compelling experience? I’ll explain, but first a brief plot synopsis for some flavour.

Struggling novelist Stefano (Gabriele Lavia) is given a typewriter as a present from his wife, Alessandra (Anne Canovas). As he sits at his new machine he notices that the text written by the previous owner is still visible on the ink ribbon. Stefano jots down the mysterious words — words that talk of something called ‘K-Zones’ where the normal laws of time and space are suspended — and takes them to a professor of mystical-whatever-stuff who tells Stefano the tale of Paolo Zeder, a scientist who carried out research into K-Zones. Each K-zone is located precisely in the areas across the world where supernatural occurrences have been reported throughout the centuries.

Investigating further, Stefano discovers that the typewriter’s previous owner was a ex-priest called Don Luigi Costa who quit the church to carry on Zeder’s work after contracting a incurable disease as it seems these K-Zones can eliminate the process of death itself.

However, it soon becomes apparent that a sinister organisation is killing anybody investigating these K-Zones and so a race is on to see if Stefano can undercover Zeder’s secret before these malevolant forces can stop him.

Director Avati creates ‘Zeder’s distinct atmosphere by dispensing almost entirely any gothic, supernatural or traditional zombie vibes and, instead, replaces them with an almost sci-fi explanation (even if the explanation is unexplained) and futurist groove. With its focus on K-Zones, video technology, mysterious industrial complexes and surveillance equipment ‘Zeder’ has more in common with, say, Stanislaw Lem’s Roadside Picnic, Cronenberg’s ‘Videodrome’ (1983), ‘Phantasm’ (1979), fifties sci-fi movies, a touch of Lovecraft and a bigger touch of Stephen King (‘Zeder’ was released before a certain ‘Pet Semetary’ was written) than your typical blood-soaked zombie flick. Indeed, the lack of gore feels nicely refreshing.

Yet it is Avati’s use of location that’s so exhilarating and uncanny. For example — the K-Zone Stefano investigates is the real life abandoned Colonia Varese, a vast, brutalist holiday camp built by the fascists in the 1930s that’s intimidating, soulless, futuristic and creepy as hell all in one. It’s a phenomenal location and Avati knows exactly how to exploit it for maximum effect.

Another reason ‘Zeder’ has such a great look is because the cinematographer was Italian genre master Franco Delli Colli who got his start with the likes of Leone and Visconti before going on to film some of the best looking B-movies to come out of the country. Here, Avati and Colli’s work blend perfectly together and pulling off some seriously clever, stimulating and great looking stuff.

Another wonderful example is when Alessandra is stalked by an assassin from the organisation on a train. Again, there’s no blood or violence but the composition, pacing and atmosphere are all fantastic and pull you totally into the movie.

I knew practically nothing about Pupi Avati before watching ‘Zeder’ apart from reading that he was well regarded, versatile, possessed a wide range along with a deft and light tough. And that might be the best way to explain the appeal of ‘Zeder’ — that it has an assured, light and confident touch which makes the film an incredibly satisfying and captivating experience.

I was hoping I’d enjoy ‘Zeder’ last night but I ended up absolutely loving it. Afterwards I sat back with a big, dopey grin on my face which, considering the film’s climax, was only appropriate.