Friday night, Amanda ReCupido swung by the Instituto Cervantes for a special PEN World Voices screening of Wristcutters, a film based on Etgar Keret's short story,"Kneller's Happy Campers."

"The film centers on a comically dark and bizarre afterlife reserved for suicides where everyone bears the scars earned from the manner in which they 'offed' themselves," Amanda reports. "Keret, who spoke at the end of the screening, mentioned that he used Don Quixote as a model for his surreal story, which he describes as a 'picaresque romance.' He admitted that the film's happy ending concerned him at first (his short story ends differently), and, in fact, the director shot both endings, but ultimately, the uplifting version 'cinematically is a better end,' he said.

"Keret also spoke about how his work is affected by his Israeli background; indeed, much of the geography in the film resembles the desolate Israel terrain. When asked about the story's existential theme, Keret responded, 'It's difficult living in Israel and not being existential,' explaining how even an activity as simple as going for a cup of coffee could raise existential issues. 'But despite it all, I describe myself as an incurable optimist.' And when asked about why it is that so many of his short stories are adapted into film: 'I usually have one setting and not many characters,' he explained. 'My stories are perfect for lazy film students.'