Peyote Queen opens with blackandwhite perforations that pulsate to the beat of drumming and escalate to lightbathed split screens and kaleidoscopic effects Switching to lively organ accompaniment the film pours out a stream of simple scratchings that rollick across the screen Fish breasts flowers boats water lips hearts starsthe hieroglyphs explode with color and celebrate the female creative force The surge slows with the return of ritual drumming this time with chanting and a selfreflective coda National Film Preservation Foundation