VIS-A-VIS – Omeleto →

Vis-a-Vis

By Emile Schlesser | Drama

A young man throws a party during the pandemic. Then the police show up...

A young man has been throwing together gatherings and parties in the middle of the pandemic, inviting friends over to drink, smoke and talk. But some of his neighbors — including an elderly lady living alone across the street — notice the parties and don’t approve.

Even the friends run the gamut in terms of their attitudes towards lockdown, stringent restrictions and just how seriously they should take the pandemic. But the whole group is forced to confront the idea of social responsibility when the police arrive at the gathering to investigate.

Written and directed by Emile Schlesser, this short drama is both sharply rendered social observation about a very current event and an examination of proximity, connection and community — a set of ideas that have been challenged and stretched to the limit by the pandemic.

Filmed with intelligent, intimate naturalism, the story is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic on an immediate level, putting viewers in the mindset of a young man who remains unconvinced of its urgency. Though his own grandmother died in a locked-down nursing home, he’s convinced that she passed away from social isolation. Perhaps out of grief and defiance, he continues to host his girlfriend and friends at his apartment, both for the joy of gathering and the avoidance of isolation.

Much of the storytelling sets up the social dynamics, both in the circle of friends and in the neighborhood. Encounters with the elderly neighbor offer nuance and complexity, showing that the party host does feel a sense of neighborliness and concern for his immediate community.

The immediacy and intimacy of the editing and camera also take pains to capture the primal pleasure of social gatherings, from the warm rhythms of conversation to the rush of dancing as the group loses themselves to the electro-indie pulse of Berlin group Bloodhype. We can see why human beings have an innate need to belong, gather and connect, and understand why they’d defy law and policy to do so.

Collectively, too, the cast of the short captures the range of contradictions, from vague abstract concern to casual disregard of social responsibility. Actor Tommy Schlesser ably captures both his character’s concern for his neighbor — a concern that somehow doesn’t quite connect to the swirl of events in the world at large. The arc of the story is essentially him bridging the gap, though not without uneasy consequence.

In many ways, “Vis-a-Vis” captures one of the most difficult tensions brought to the surface during the pandemic. For many, it was difficult to conceive of the public health threat because its immediate effects seemed to exist far from our lived realities. This mental distancing perhaps grew even wider once self-isolation and social distancing became official policies in many countries, exacerbated by a society that was already increasingly isolated even before the pandemic started. But as a seemingly distant phenomenon becomes more immediate, and our party host comes to learn, the world is very much interconnected — a connection, and perhaps responsibility, that is more palpable and intimate than we realize.

SUPERHERO – Omeleto →

SUPERHERO

BY EMILE SCHLESSER | DRAMA

A young man with Down syndrome dresses as a superhero to profess his love to a friend.

Max is a young man with Down syndrome who arrives uninvited to his childhood friend Tess’s party. He and Tess were playmates as kids, but now they have grown up and Tess is moving to New York. So Max summons up the courage to say goodbye and profess his love, dressed up as the superhero he and Tess used to play when they were young.

The party is raucous and Max does not fit in. When all goes wrong with this plan, he decides to do something to impress her and demonstrate his courage — something that will show he is a superhero after all.

Written and directed by Emile Schlesser, this compelling, textured short drama-fantasy has the romantic terrain of long-time crushes and confessions of love. But through the impressive skill and deft craftsmanship of its storytelling, it achieves the dark, pulsing tension of a thriller, balancing suspense and emotion while weaving in moments of transcendence in unexpected places.

The premise reads on paper as romance, but the moody, saturated color and lurid lighting of the nighttime party setting paint a world of decidedly grown-up debauchery, with gleaming shots of drinking, hooking up and partying. The dynamic, restless camera movement and editing border of almost out-of-control, capturing a sense of a rager that careening wildly off the rails, and each beat of the story constantly builds upon the next.

Within this world, Max waits for his moment with Tess, out of place and alone in his superhero costume. He doesn’t quite fit into Tess’s world, but he has still summoned up the courage to talk to her one last time before she leaves. In an achingly vulnerable, almost painful scene, he manages to get a quiet moment alone with Tess, though the sweet sentiments of his confession are interrupted by the party’s increasing wildness.

The performances are especially masterful in capturing both a shared past and affection and a distance wrought by time and life itself. Actor Maria Dragus captures how Tess oscillates between an innate protectiveness for Max, an impatience at being pulled away from her life and an embarrassment at the situation itself and how her friends may see it. Tess is pulled in many directions, and Dragus makes the balancing act sympathetic and human.

But the beating heart of the film is actor Nico Randel, who plays Max’s feelings and drives with directness and clarity. He wears the mask of a superhero, but he is the only character who is truly himself, and who speaks from the heart with affecting straightforwardness. But his sentiments are brushed over and he is shunted off to the sidelines, and then he must watch Tess kiss another boy. Feeling jealous and perhaps hurt at how he’s treated, he asserts himself with an act of courage — one that goes horribly wrong.

The ending of “Superhero” takes the story in an unexpected direction, using the trope of the superhero film itself in a unique, almost metaphysical way that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. The film language of superhero spectacle doesn’t overwhelm the audience with bombastic sensation but instead creates a poetic, even spiritual experience of the liminal space between life and death. In doing so, it leaves us with an unforgettable ending that will linger in the hearts and minds of viewers well after the film is over, with a sense of awe more tragic and tender than found in most superhero films today.

VIS-A-VIS – Filmshortage →

VIS-A-VIS

a short film by Émile V. Schlesser

While throwing a booze fueled party during the pandemic, a young man is haunted by the suspicion that something horrible happened to the lady across the street – and he might be responsible for it.

“Vis-a-Vis” is a dramedy about responsibility, the pandemic and how it affects our relationships. Directed by Émile V. Schlesser, the film follows five young friends who throw a little party during the Covid-19 lockdown. As their night progresses, they gradually become haunted by the suspicion that something might have happened to the elderly lady across the street – and they might be responsible for it.


The film is based on an actual experience my friends and myself had last November, during the peak of COVID’s second wave. After being isolated for months due to the lockdown, my girlfriend and me decided we couldn’t take any more solitude. So for her birthday, despite current COVID restrictions, we secretly invited a couple of friends (equally lonely and desperate for human interaction) and drank and danced and laughed all night. When I stepped onto the balcony for some fresh air, I could see lights burning in the neighbor’s window, where an elderly woman lives by herself. It occurred to me that these lights had not been switched off for at least one week. I couldn’t fight this uncanny feeling that something horrible might have happened to her. Despite being pretty drunk and in a partying mood, I suddenly felt guilty for what we were doing that night. This strange emotional place serves as inspiration for this film which hopefully will resonate with many people who might have had similar experiences, feelings and thoughts – in a time where nobody knows what’s going on and no questions are answered.

It’s a tricky balancing act to tell a story about a historic time as it is happening, as we can’t foretell how the film, it’s message, the character’s reactions to the pandemic, and everything around it, will be perceived future audiences. So the best you can do is to basically create a snapshot of the moment and reflect the zeitgeist as candidly as possible. This is how it felt at the time, and it’s a story that happened to many people everywhere. I specifically intended to remain as ambiguous and open ended as possible, since this is the general feeling that’s been resonating since the outbreak – no one really knows what’s going on, there are no unanimous answers to our questions, no absolute truths, just a myriad of mere opinions that are constantly changing.

Vis-à-Vis in a nutshell captures the essence of some social dilemmas created by the pandemic. Humans need social interactions, and when kept apart for too long the makeshift rules will start to be broken by some. But braking the rules is just the beginning, which then creates guilt, denials and ultimately lying to one another just to make things feel half normal.

The Equipment of Vis-à-Vis

We shot this project with a minimum of resources, a tiny budget, a couple of friends in front and behind the camera, and my own camera (a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K with vintage Zeiss glass). We shot it at my girlfriend’s appartment where the actual events took place just a few months before. The eeriest thing about the shoot was when during our last day, just before we wrapped photography, the elderly lady across the street reappeared in her appartment after having been gone for five months since the night that inspired the whole story! I still get goosebumps when I think about it.

The film is part of a larger project (called “Filmreakter Quickes“) launched by accomplished filmmakers Govinda van Maele and Adolf el Assal, who united a group of Luxembourgish filmmakers to jointly reignite our lust for moviemaking and storytelling after having not been able to work for a long time due to the pandemic. “Vis-a-Vis” is the first film of this series.

SUPERHERO – Filmshortage →

SUPERHERO

a short film by Émile V. Schlesser
starring Nico Randel • Maria Dragus • Jannik Schümann
ONLINE PREMIERE

A YOUNG MAN WITH DOWN SYNDROME, STAKES ON A SUPERHERO IDENTITY TO MUSTER THE COURAGE TO PROFESS HIS LOVE TO A CHILDHOOD FRIEND.

Just barely a week after releasing his COVID-Lockdown short ‘Vis-À-Vis‘, Émile V. Schlesser drops his new film (actually shot before Vis-À-Vis) ‘Superhero’. Different in subject, but just as powerful in terms of creative and psychological experience. Following Max, a young man with Down syndrome, stakes on a superhero identity to muster the courage to profess his love to a childhood friend. Showing up uninvited at her farewell party, he soon finds himself involved in a test of courage which goes horribly wrong.


It delves into the rich visuals defined by classic cinema and superhero movies

While the film is set in an exciting and fun setting, its narrative takes on heavy emotional proportions. Bringing on a lead character with Down Syndrome, Émile quickly puts the emphasis on character relations development. An element which helps put the audience in a precautious and attentive state from the early stages. As the story progresses and turns into fantasy, the brilliance is played through the audience’s perspective of the metaphorical intentions.

“Superhero” is a unique mix between heartfelt drama and fantasy. On one hand the film meditates on pain and conflict that arise when falling out of touch with childhood friends as one is growing up – on the other, triggered by the protagonist’s outfit as emotional armour, it delves into the rich visuals defined by classic cinema and superhero movies.



While the story originally had Max as a socially challenged kid, Émile leaned towards a Down Syndrome character after remembering a childhood friend, who was always treated differently from other kids. And with the story shaping to be about masks that people wear (metaphorically) in social environments, Émile says “what characterizes people with Down syndrome is that they do not possess such a social mask. Their behaviour, words and actions are earnest and unfiltered“. An element that he ironically contrasts in the film with Max being the only one with a mask.

CASTING FOR SUPERHERO

At first my producer wanted the film to be shot in Luxembourgish with local actors, for budgetary and logistic reasons. But I insisted on casting an actor with Down syndrome in the lead, and since we couldn’t find anybody with acting experience in Luxembourg, I began searching in Germany. Changing the film’s language also gave me the opportunity to try and reach out to actors I’ve admired for a long time, and who would be perfect for these roles – Maria Dragus and Jannik Schümann – two of the most interesting young talents in Germany.

Finding Nico Randel was an absolute blessing. I insisted on casting an actor with the same genetic characteristic as the protagonist. I never would have condoned casting a ‘normal’ actor posing as a character with disability. You just can’t do that, the days of Leo as Arnie Grape are long gone. And what Nico brought to this project exceeded my expectations by far. I discovered Nico after a long and arduous search online and many phone calls. I found his website and saw that he not only had a bit of acting experience (mainly on stage) but that he’s also a very versatile artist: he paints, draws, exhibits his work and even directed a few stage plays.

So I immediately felt this kinship between us. I reached out to his parents, who are also his managers, and we clicked right away. I completely fell in love with his earnestness, pureness, humour, courage and enthusiasm. And considering he’s extremely afraid of heights, the man’s fearless. He really elevated the whole thing.

Solinger Tageblatt: CANONS

Kunstausstellung

Solingen: 73. Bergische endet mit einem Donnerschlag

Konfetti-Kanone oder Granatwerfer? Die Perfomance-Skulptur von Émile V. Schlesser wird noch einmal schießen. Keiner weiß wann. Foto: Tim Oelbermann

Konfetti-Kanone oder Granatwerfer? Die Perfomance-Skulptur von Émile V. Schlesser wird noch einmal schießen. Keiner weiß wann. Foto: Tim Oelbermann

Kunstausstellung wartet auf den finalen Schuss der Skulptur „Canons“. Die Schau selbst war ein Erfolg.

Die Skulptur „Canons“ von Émile V. Schlesser und ist ein zentraler Blickfang der 73. Bergischen Kunstausstellung. Der Künstler hat die Performance-Skulptur so programmiert, dass sie regelmäßig, aber zu unbekannten Terminen, goldenes Konfetti unter ohrenbetäubendem Lärm abschießt. „Auf den letzten Schuss warten wir noch“, sagt die Direktorin des Kunstmuseums, Gisela Elbracht-Iglhaut. (…)

Wann der finale Donnerschlag erfolgt, weiß auch sie nicht. „Canons“ aus dem Jahr 2019 stehe ganz symbolhaft für das, was die junge Kunst der aktuellen Bergischen Kunstausstellung ausdrücken wolle, erklärt die Direktorin. Sie suche den Dialog mit dem Publikum, fordere es heraus, sich mit der Kunst zu beschäftigen. „Die Solinger sind ein sehr offenes Publikum, deshalb hat die Ausstellung sehr gut funktioniert.“ (…)

Skulptur „Canons“ erinnerte ältere Besucherin an Kriegserlebnisse

Sie berichtet von viel Diskussion über Kunst. Natürlich auch zu “Canons“. Eine mehr als 80-jährige Besucherin habe ihr gesagt, das „Ding“ mache ihr Angst, es erinnere sie an die Bombenexplosionen aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Man habe das lange besprochen, sagt die Direktorin. Auch habe sie erklärt, dass es dem Künstler darauf ankomme, den Kontrast zwischen geplanter Fröhlichkeit durch Konfetti und dem plötzlichen, unerwarteten Ausbruch von Kriegen aufzuzeigen. Dann sei die Angst der Bewunderung für die intellektuelle Tiefe der Skulptur gewichen. (…)

Elbracht-Iglhaut schaut bereits nach vorn. Im März 2020 tagt die Jury für die 74. Ausgabe der Ausstellung. Sie ist froh, dann wieder ein Team von Juroren zu haben, die als Größen der jungen Kunstszene ein „tolles Gespür“ für die Auswahl der Künstler habe.

Von Philipp Müller

Engels - Kultur.Kino.Wuppertal: CANONS

Goldenes Konfetti

73. Internationale Bergische Kunstausstellung in Solingen

IMG_3098.JPG

73. Internationale Bergische Kunstausstellung in Solingen

Wenn man locker mit Oscar Wildes Postulat, nur durch Kunst entgingen wir den grauen- haften Gefahren des Alltags, umgeht, dann machen künstlerische Positionen Sinn für die Zukunft. Vielleicht würden Artistic Days for Future helfen, doch ich bin nicht sicher, ob das alte Europa tatsächlich noch zinslos zu retten ist. In Solingen jedenfalls vergeben Banken immer noch Kunstpreise, die Künstler magisch anziehen und dem städtischen Kunstmuseum, das als europäischer Solitär ein Zentrum für verfolgte Künste ist, immer eine zu- mindest interessante Ausstellung ermöglichen. (…)

Das Spektakulum der Kunstausstellung findet eine Etage tiefer statt. Das Luxemburger Multitalent Émile V. Schlesser, auch bekannt als Filmemacher, hat in Solingen eine Kanoneninstallation aufgebaut, die zumindest für ein paar Minuten den Puls beschleunigt. Denn aus acht Röhren könnte es theoretisch knallen, wie die Zeitschaltuhren suggerieren, doch die Hälfte von „Canons“ (2019) ist offensichtlich schon leer, das goldene Konfetti durch Raum und Museum verteilt. Der Zufallsgenerator hatte kein Einsehen, doch das mulmige Gefühl bleibt die ganze Zeit. Sehr schön unangenehm.

Von Peter Ortmann

Westdeutsche Zeitung: SOAP OPERA

Geheimtipp in der Düsseldorfer Kunstakademie:
Wo die Seifenblasen tanzen

Foto: Sergej Lepke

Foto: Sergej Lepke

Noch bis Sonntag sind beim Rundgang die Werke des Abschlussjahrgangs in der Düsseldorfer Kunstakademie ausgestellt. Es gibt viele tolle Arbeiten zu sehen. Ein Beispiel.

Düsseldorf. Es ist wuselig auf den Fluren der Kunstakademie in diesen Tagen. Die Rundgang-Ausstellung lockt zahlreiche Besucher an, die vielen Kunstinteressierten schieben sich durch Treppenhäuser und über Korridore, biegen hier in den einen Raum ab und schauen sich dort eine andere Arbeit an. Und dann ist da dieser schwere, schwarze Vorhang, irgendwo im dritten Obergeschoss des imposanten Gebäudes an der Eiskellerstraße. Wer diesen zur Seite schiebt und den Raum dahinter betritt, findet sich plötzlich in einer ganz anderen Welt wieder. Stockdunkel ist es hier und beinahe still. Nur das eintönige Brummen von vier kleinen Maschinen ist zu hören. Eine kleine Lampe an der Decke wirft ein wenig Licht auf den Boden. Und in diesem Licht, da tanzen sie durch die Luft: Unzählige Seifenblasen, kleine und große, schimmernd in den verschiedensten Farben. Was ist das für eine Arbeit, die irgendwie anders ist und auffällt? Wir haben uns mit ihrem Schöpfer Emile Schlesser unterhalten.

„Soap Opera“ nennt der 31-Jährige seinen Beitrag zur Rundgang-Ausstellung, der gleichzeitig seine Abschlussarbeit an der Kunstakademie ist. Soap wie Seife, klar. Und auch der Begriff der Oper passt, denn Emilie Schlesser versteht auch sein Werk als bühnenreife Inszenierung.

Es geht um Vergänglichkeit und Zerbrechlichkeit. Seifenblasen, die nur eine kurze „Lebensdauer“ haben, während dieser Zeit aber wunderschön schimmern und den Betrachter in ihren Bann ziehen sollen. Das Ganze kombiniert der Künstler, der auch Filmemacher ist, mit einer kino- oder theaterhaften Atmosphäre. Der dunkle Raum, ein Vorhang, doppelter Boden, eine schwache Lichtquelle und Maschinen, die Seifenblasen ausspucken wie ein Filmprojektor Bilder.

Drei Jahre lang hat Emile Schlesser an seiner Abschlussarbeit gefeilt, über verschiedene Farbpigmente in den Seifenblasen nachgedacht und sich letztlich für eine ganz einfache selbst gemachte Mischung aus Spülmittel, Wasser und Zucker entschieden. „Zucker ist wichtig für die Stabilität“, erklärt der gebürtige Luxemburger, der seit fünf Jahren in Düsseldorf lebt und arbeitet.

Mindestens genauso wichtig wie eine stabile Oberfläche war dem 31-Jährigen aber der Duft seiner Seifenblasen. Eine Mischung aus Granatapfel und Zitrone, die den jungen Künstler an frühere Zeiten mit seinen mittlerweile verstorbenen Großeltern erinnert.

Insgesamt ist die „Soap Opera“ für ihn eine ganz persönliche Arbeit, sagt Emile. Durch den Tod seiner Großeltern habe er sich viel mit Themen wie Tod und Vergänglichkeit auseinandergesetzt. „Letztlich habe ich für mich erkannt, dass es jedem selbst überlassen ist, ob er sich ängstigen lässt oder die Schönheit der Vergänglichkeit entdeckt.“ Er selbst habe sich für die Schönheit entschieden.

Und auch bei der Rundgang-Ausstellung gefällt vielen Besuchern die Kunst mit den fragilen Seifenblasen, die leicht wie Schneeflocken durch den Raum tanzen und dann zerplatzen. „Die Resonanz ist unglaublich“, sagt Emile. „So viel Positives hätte ich gar nicht erwartet.“

Von Gabi Kowalczik

Rheinische Post: SOAP OPERA

Düsseldorf

Zuckerwatte sticht Schweinelunge

Düsseldorf Der Rundgang an der Akademie zeigt: Die junge Kunst wird extremer und zukunftsgewandt. Neue Professoren sorgen für neue Vitalität.

Klasse Marcel Odenbach: Emile von Schlesser in seiner Abschlussperformance "Soap Opera" - ein Raum mit Millionen animierter Seifenblasen. Foto: Endermann Andreas

Klasse Marcel Odenbach: Emile von Schlesser in seiner Abschlussperformance "Soap Opera" - ein Raum mit Millionen animierter Seifenblasen. Foto: Endermann Andreas

Wie wichtig es ist für die Qualität der Kunstakademie, dass sie stets neue wegweisende Künstler als Professoren beruft, erkennt man beim diesjährigen Rundgang. Das Niveau der Präsentationen ist gestiegen, die Klassen sind vorbildlich organisiert, die jungen Künstler geben Auskunft über ihr Werk. Das Chaos manch vergangener Jahre ist in einer energetischen Kreativität und Bündelung der Kräfte aufgegangen. Vieles entsteht im Miteinander. So gut stand die Akademie schon lange nicht mehr da mit ihrer Nabelschau, an der sich stets mehrere hundert Studierende präsentieren - zum Teil mit ihren Abschlussarbeiten. (...)

Beim berühmten Kölner Professor für Videokunst, Marcel Odenbach, habe er viel gelernt, sagt Emile von Schlesser, dessen "Soap Opera" im hinterletzten Winkel des dritten Stockes zu finden ist. Man sollte sich diesen Raum, der Schlessers Abschlussarbeit ist, nicht entgehen lassen. Der Künstler als Seifenblasenproduzent ist Veranstalter eines circensischen Spektakels. Im Dunkeln springen die Seifenblasen rund und oval oder breitgedrückt aus dem Boden und verquirlen sich im Sturm der Ventilatoren. Vom Licht beschienen, wird es ein Tanz der Vanitas. Nichts zerspringt so schnell wie Seifenblasen, sagt Schlesser. (...)

Von Annette Bosetti