
SOLACE
A short film by Duraid Abbas Ghaieb & Liliane Ott
Based on an idea by Duraid Abbas Ghaieb
with elements of the "Story of Anne" by Vera Lambrecht and Teatske Burgerjon
With
Vera Lambrecht
Teatske Burgerjon
Duraid Abbas Ghaieb
Synopsis
In a dim hotel room, three people gather for a rehearsal while the world outside succumbs to unsettling yet mysterious events, causing the sky to burn with an orange glow. They wrestle a large suitcase inside, revealing an enigmatic, shape-shifting puppet—the FIGURE—central to their performance: the “Story of Anne.” Through drumming, narration, and different wooden puppets, using whatever is at their disposal in the room, Anne’s journey is brought to life. Left alone in a forest hut while her brothers hunt a dragon and never return, she grows from a fearful girl into someone brave enough to face unknown perils, always accompanied by her loyal chicken, Alfonsina.
As the FIGURE shifts, transforming from animal to treelike creature, shedding its ever-changing skin, the world outside grows more ominous. The forest journey seems to bleed into reality, and fierce winds howl. The orange light seeping through the windows deepens to a crimson haze, and for a moment, we leave the room and find ourselves in a real forest, watching Anne and Alfonsina as they witness a humanoid figure running toward a red blinking light.
Back in the room, the trio presses on until, in the final moment, the once-inanimate FIGURE fully transforms into a living presence, mirroring Anne’s metamorphosis and uniting art with life in one final tableau.
Part of the Transmedia Project "Hotel Excelsior" supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture
Status: In development / financing
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