OEDIPUS silent film 2017
Oedipus is not the murderer – the killer is his father Laius, whose assassination attempt however failed despite the aid of his mother Jocasta... Oedipus grows up far from home, and when the dark message of the oracle reaches him, he flees for fear that he might be a danger for the life of his foster father, whom he considers his biological father. On the run, he meets Laius, who is still violent and seeks for the stranger’s life, whom he does not recognize as his son, over the quarrel to give way to him, the king... So it happens what is bound to happen, Laius falls to death and his evil spirit strays in the mountains. Oedipus encounters the Sphinx, who asks him to solve the enigma of mankind that he solves without great difficulty and therefore frees the city of Thebes from the curse of the Sphinx. Jubilation. To come to the throne, he is wedded to his mother Jocasta and rules until blindness strikes him... When Jocasta realizes that her husband Oedipus is her son, she loses herself in her remorse and drives her into despair about the gruesome deed done to the then helpless child... Blind, Oedipus takes his leave and rides through the blooming rhododendrons in the shadow of the larks, exchanges his ceremonial robe against coarse linen, the crown against a cardboard hat and seeks his path in company of his horse. In sunny moments he rests sitting on a stone and plays his lonely tune on his old natural horn to the chants of the wind...
YOSHIHRO SHIMOMURA embodies all the characters in the film. His son TORA plays the child Oedipus in the scene when he is left behind in the wilderness.
The shooting was done with two cameras, different lenses and from varying positions.
On the camera were: CORNELIA MÜLLER, MAURO LARDI and FLAVIO ALESSI.
The following scenes were filmed:
JOCASTA
Jocasta dances her love and her desire for Laius. Because it is her love for Laius, that made her approve his violence against their own child. (Cavaglia)
Jocasta exposes her son, leaving him to his uncertain fate.... (Cavaglia)
Jocasta has recognized Oedipus. She despairs of her guilt to have left the child Oedipus to death. (Prairol)
LAIUS
Laius is perched on a stone seat. He is haunted by his ideas that Oedipus could oust him. Paranoia. Murder request. (Cavagliasco)
Laius fell, slipped on the smooth rock, is stunned by the fall. (Alpe Palü)
Laius' evil spirit dances the destruction of his son and his own. (Alpe Palü)
OEDIPUS
The blind Oedipus remembers his story at the blazing fire. (Alpe Palü)
The birth of Oedipus. (Cavaglia, glacier mills)
Oedipus is dancing the tree. (Alpe Palü)
Oedipus dances Akhenaten’s anthem to the sun. (Alpe Palü)
Oedipus solves the enigma of the Sphinx. (Selva)
Oedipus is blind. He renounces his royal regalia. He dresses in coarse linen and fur and meanders with his horse through the mountain world. (Alpe Palü)
Oedipus plays on his natural horn his lonely melody.... (Alpe Palü)
SPHINX
The Sphinx asks Oedipus to solve the enigma: What moves on all fours in the morning, at noon on two legs and in the evening on threes? (Selva)
SILENT MOVIE OEDIPUS – please order here
PAST SHOWS
with live music by THE MAGIC SCIENCE QUARTET
19.09.2015 - PREMIERE of the silent movie Oedipus Poschiavo Swiss Alps
20.09.2015 - Kino Scala St. Moritz
25.09.2015 - I'klectik London
06.10.2015 - Filmhouse Cinema Edinburgh
PRESS RELEASE (PDF)
ENGLISH / DEUTSCH / ITALIANO / PREMIERE POSCHIAVO
DOWNLOAD PRESS FOTOS
precious support by
