Stephen Quay

Career Overview

Stephen Quay has 113 screen credits in a career dating back to 1979. Signature works include Postscriptum. Ruminations on My Craft, Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass, The Doll's Breath. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For

Directing

Gender

male

Known Credits

113

Birth Date

1947-06-17

Birth Place

Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA

Known For

• 

  Postscriptum. Ruminations on My Craft
• 

  Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass
• 

  The Doll's Breath
• 

  The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
• 

  The Phantom Museum: Random Forays Into the Vaults of Sir Henry Wellcome's Medical Collection
• 

  Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life

Frequent Collaborators

• Gottfried John (2 collaborations)
• César Saratxu (2 collaborations)
• Krzysztof Kieślowski (1 collaborations)
• Tadeusz Janiszewski (1 collaborations)
• Wioletta Kopańska (1 collaborations)
• Andrzej Kłak (1 collaborations)
• Leszek Bzdyl (1 collaborations)
• Robert Martyniak (1 collaborations)
• Łukasz Łucjan (1 collaborations)
• Marek Jasek (1 collaborations)

Credits

• directing (48 credits)

  • Postscriptum. Ruminations on My Craft

    director

    directing
    2026
  • Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

    director

    directing
    2025
  • The Art Teacher from Drohobycz: Bruno Schulz

    director

    directing
    2022
  • Ghosts and Whispers

    director

    directing
    2022
  • 11 Preliminary Orbits Around Planet Lem

    director

    directing
    2021
  • VadeMecum

    director

    directing
    2021
  • The Doll's Breath

    director

    directing
    2019
  • Unmistaken Hands: Ex Voto F.H.

    director

    directing
    2013
  • Through the Weeping Glass: On the Consolations of Life Everlasting (Limbos & Afterbreezes in the Mütter Museum)

    director

    directing
    2011
  • Wonderwood: Comme des garçons

    director

    directing
    2010
  • Maska

    director

    directing
    2010
  • Kinoteka Ident

    director

    directing
    2009
  • Inventorium of Traces

    director

    directing
    2009
  • Eurydice: She, So Beloved

    director

    directing
    2007
  • Alice in Not So Wonderland

    director

    directing
    2007
  • Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers

    director

    directing
    2007
  • The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes

    director

    directing
    2005
  • Quay Brothers: The Short Films 1979-2003

    director

    directing
    2004
  • The Phantom Museum: Random Forays Into the Vaults of Sir Henry Wellcome's Medical Collection

    director

    directing
    2003
  • Songs for Dead Children

    director

    directing
    2003
  • Sonic Cinema: Sparklehorse

    director

    directing
    2001
  • Stille Nacht V: Dog Door

    director

    directing
    2001
  • The Sandman

    director

    directing
    2000
  • In Absentia

    director

    directing
    2000
  • The Brothers Quay Collection: Ten Astonishing Short Films 1984-1993

    director

    directing
    2000
  • Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life

    director

    directing
    1995
  • The Summit

    director

    directing
    1995
  • Stille Nacht IV: Can't Go Wrong Without You

    director

    directing
    1993
  • Stille Nacht III: Tales from Vienna Woods

    director

    directing
    1993
  • Anamorphosis

    director

    directing
    1993
  • Stille Nacht II: Are We Still Married?

    director

    directing
    1992
  • The Comb

    director

    directing
    1991
  • The Calligrapher

    director

    directing
    1991
  • Ex Voto

    director

    directing
    1989
  • Rain Dance

    director

    directing
    1988
  • Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies

    director

    directing
    1988
  • Stille Nacht I: Dramolet

    director

    directing
    1988
  • Tales of the Brothers Quay

    director

    directing
    1987
  • Street of Crocodiles

    director

    directing
    1986
  • This Unnameable Little Broom

    director

    directing
    1985
  • The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer

    director

    directing
    1984
  • The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer: Prague's Alchemist of Film

    director

    directing
    1984
  • Janáček: Intimate Excursions

    director

    directing
    1983
  • Igor Stravinsky: The Paris Years Chez Pleyel 1920-1929

    director

    directing
    1982
  • A Fratricide

    director

    directing
    1981
  • Punch and Judy: Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy

    director

    directing
    1981
  • The Eternal Day of Michel de Ghelderode

    director

    directing
    1981
  • Nocturna Artificialia

    director

    directing
    1979

• editing (7 credits)

  • Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

    editor

    editing
    2025
  • Through the Weeping Glass: On the Consolations of Life Everlasting (Limbos & Afterbreezes in the Mütter Museum)

    editor

    editing
    2011
  • Inventorium of Traces

    editor

    editing
    2009
  • Eurydice: She, So Beloved

    editor

    editing
    2007
  • Anamorphosis

    editor

    editing
    1993
  • The Comb

    editor

    editing
    1991
  • Street of Crocodiles

    editor

    editing
    1986

• sound (3 credits)

  • Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

    sound

    sound
    2025
  • Through the Weeping Glass: On the Consolations of Life Everlasting (Limbos & Afterbreezes in the Mütter Museum)

    sound

    sound
    2011
  • Inventorium of Traces

    sound designer

    sound
    2009

• visual effects (16 credits)

  • Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

    animation

    visual effects
    2025
  • Ghosts and Whispers

    animation

    visual effects
    2022
  • Unmistaken Hands: Ex Voto F.H.

    animation

    visual effects
    2013
  • Through the Weeping Glass: On the Consolations of Life Everlasting (Limbos & Afterbreezes in the Mütter Museum)

    animation

    visual effects
    2011
  • The Phantom Museum: Random Forays Into the Vaults of Sir Henry Wellcome's Medical Collection

    animation

    visual effects
    2003
  • In Absentia

    animation

    visual effects
    2000
  • Stille Nacht IV: Can't Go Wrong Without You

    animation

    visual effects
    1993
  • Stille Nacht III: Tales from Vienna Woods

    animation

    visual effects
    1993
  • Anamorphosis

    animation

    visual effects
    1993
  • Stille Nacht II: Are We Still Married?

    animation

    visual effects
    1992
  • The Comb

    animation

    visual effects
    1991
  • The Calligrapher

    animation

    visual effects
    1991
  • Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies

    animation

    visual effects
    1988
  • Street of Crocodiles

    animation

    visual effects
    1986
  • A Fratricide

    animation

    visual effects
    1981
  • Punch and Judy: Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy

    animation

    visual effects
    1981

• writing (11 credits)

  • Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass

    screenplay

    writing
    2025
  • Unmistaken Hands: Ex Voto F.H.

    writer

    writing
    2013
  • Maska

    writer

    writing
    2010
  • Alice in Not So Wonderland

    writer

    writing
    2007
  • The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes

    writer

    writing
    2005
  • Stille Nacht V: Dog Door

    writer

    writing
    2001
  • Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life

    writer

    writing
    1995
  • The Comb

    writer

    writing
    1991
  • Street of Crocodiles

    writer

    writing
    1986
  • This Unnameable Little Broom

    writer

    writing
    1985
  • The Eternal Day of Michel de Ghelderode

    writer

    writing
    1981

• actors (10 credits)

  • The Music of Zdeněk Liška

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2017
  • The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin

    actor

    actors
    2015
  • Quay

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2015
  • Behind the Scenes with the Quay Brothers

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • Inside The Institute

    actor

    actors
    2010
  • The Art of Time

    actor

    actors
    2009
  • The Bug Trainer

    Self - stop-motion animator

    actor

    actors
    2009
  • The Making of "The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes"

    actor

    actors
    2006
  • The Phantom Museum: Random Forays Into the Vaults of Sir Henry Wellcome's Medical Collection

    Librarian

    actor

    actors
    2003
  • The Falls

    Ipson Fallari

    actor

    actors
    1982

• crew (4 credits)

  • Quay

    thanks

    crew
    2015
  • Alice in Not So Wonderland

    cinematography

    crew
    2007
  • Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies

    cinematography

    crew
    1988
  • Nocturna Artificialia

    cinematography

    crew
    1979

• camera (8 credits)

  • Inventorium of Traces

    director of photography

    camera
    2009
  • Stille Nacht IV: Can't Go Wrong Without You

    camera operator

    camera
    1993
  • Stille Nacht III: Tales from Vienna Woods

    camera operator

    camera
    1993
  • Anamorphosis

    camera operator

    camera
    1993
  • Stille Nacht II: Are We Still Married?

    camera operator

    camera
    1992
  • The Comb

    camera operator

    camera
    1991
  • This Unnameable Little Broom

    director of photography

    camera
    1985
  • The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer

    director of photography

    camera
    1984

• art (6 credits)

  • Eurydice: She, So Beloved

    set designer

    art
    2007
  • The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes

    production design

    art
    2005
  • Anamorphosis

    art direction

    art
    1993
  • The Comb

    art direction

    art
    1991
  • Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies

    decorator

    art
    1988
  • Street of Crocodiles

    production design

    art
    1986