AustLit

The first full-length film by Czech-born, Australian-based surrealist Dusan Marek. The National Library of Australia describes Cobweb on a Parachute as follows:

Combining animation with live action this is one of the few truly surreal works to emerge in the Australian cinema, an intensely personal reflection, by Czech artist Dusan Marek, on the importance of maintaining an inner freedom. Marek is the film's solitary character - the artist and his alter-ego who wears a de Chirico-like mask. The spare commentary poetically alludes to the artist's conflict with his subconscious culminating in liberation. The images are assembled in a manner akin to music. Marek hoped that this would allow viewers to maintain contact with their imaginations.

According to Alex Gerbaz, in his 'Innovations in Australian Cinema', the film was shot on offcuts of film provided by Fontana Films, after they hired Marek to produce animated advertisements:

Although Cobweb was left 'unfinished' -- his original print went missing before he could add superimpositions and other effects -- Marek worked on it for a full year, and the resulting 1-hour film is one of his most ambititous and personal works. From its haunting opening shots of a man (Marek) standing rigid in front of a door, Cobweb possesses an enigmatic and dreamlike atmosphere. Marek's character is followed by a man with a featureless, wooden head. He is initially afraid, but the thought keeps occurring to him: 'If you kill me, you will die.' The two individuals are inseparable, a fact alluded to by the compelling image of two snails twisting around each other, accompanied by a drumming sound like a heartbeat. After a time, the idea of having a mysterious double becomes less frightening: 'Suddenly', Marek narrates in a thick accent, 'I stop being conscious of his presence.' The film now makes a significant shift, as we see a very relaxed and casually dressed Marek in his studio, looking over storyboards and animation cut-outs. The wooden-headed man appears again out of the blue, but Marek is calm rather than horrified. He puts his double to work, showing him how to operate the film equipment. A short cut-out animation sequence follows, after which Marek inserts a key into a heavy spherical object. 'He exists only within me', Marek narrates, and proclaims himself 'free', part of nature, and 'full of excitement!'

Sources:

Gerbaz, Alex. 'Innovations in Australian Cinema: An Historical Outline of Australian Experimental Film'. Journal of the National Film and Sound Archive, Australia 3.1 (2008): 1-12.

National Library of Australia record (http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10601229?versionId=12364958). (Sighted: 29/6/2012)