Help identifying a surrealist film

[Winters_Sorrow]

Hello all.

Can anyone help me to identify a film I remember watching on Channel 4 in the early 90s.

I missed some of it but I remember the following sections:
the scene I remember most consisted of a cloaked figure with a moustache (looked somewhat similar to Mandrake the magicain), opening a secret door in a tree and descending down a spiral staircase in to some kind of weird "cocteauesque" underworld where a kind of masquerade ball was taking place - lots of characters in colourful costumes etc

the film seemed to jump between the present day - and this strange underworld - I think there was a documentary crew somewhere in the film too

it was a foreign film - with subtitles - possibly French or German

it was in widescreen - looked quite modern and beautifully filmed with rich colours & had a magic/surreal feel to it.

Any thoughts?
I know it's not Intervista or Santa Sangre.

 

[dwndrgn]

Reminds me of The City of Lost Children but I don't believe that is it.

 

[dustinzgirl]

What, if you don't mind me asking, is a surrealist film?

 

[Winters_Sorrow]

What, if you don't mind me asking, is a surrealist film?

I don't mind you asking.
It's basically a very unusual film with a lot of imagery and bizarre elements. An example would be the Twin Peaks TV show or Salvador Dali paintings for a generic example.

And it's not the City of Lost Children, seen that & enjoyed it but definitely not it.