Bodies are often shown as fragmented and interconnected with objects, reflecting a non-human-centric viewpoint and challenging traditional cinematic representation.

Jozef’s journey is not linear; it is an exploration of his own memories, nightmares, and subconscious, often blending the past and present into a unified experience of dream-like surrealism.

Through fragmented narratives, "surreal surrealism," and lush, chaotic production design, The Hourglass Sanatorium explores the intersection of memory, impending death, and the loss of Jewish identity in pre-WWII Poland, challenging linear perceptions of time and existence. II. The Convoluted Temporality (Time)

The sanatorium exists in a "time-out-of-joint." The head doctor explains that because the institution is dilapidated, time is not running on schedule, allowing dead people to live on.