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Orphea

Encounters 2020
The myth of Orpheus is well-known: he returns back to life from the underworld and laments the loss of his love with his music. Alexander Kluge and Khavn, an exceptional duo with explosive power, take this myth as the basis for a genuine revolution. Orpheus’ journey to the realm of the dead to save Eurydice has been failing for millennia and ends fatally. Anyone who wants to give the story a different twist must come up with something new, such as switching the genders. The result is “Orphea”. Determined to do anything for her “Euridiko”, Orphea (superbly played by Lilith Stangenberg) possesses the stirring power of music. Not only does she want to look at her beloved, she is intent on bringing all the dead back to life. Orphea is the angel of history: she turns her face to the past and is blown towards the future, understanding everything and carrying it all along with her. Philippine slums, immortality projects in the wake of the Russian Revolution, afterlife research in Silicon Valley, migration movements in Europe. The thousand-headed snake, the woolly mammoth, Tchaikovsky, Purcell, Adorno, Rilke... Kluge and Khavn deliver a total work of art for the new millennium.
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by Alexander Kluge, Khavn
with Lilith Stangenberg, Ian Madrigal Germany 2020 German, English, Tagalog 99’ Colour & Black/White World premiere

With

  • Lilith Stangenberg (Orphea)
  • Ian Madrigal (Euridiko)

Crew

Director Alexander Kluge, Khavn
Written by Alexander Kluge, Khavn, Douglas Candano
Cinematography Thomas Wilke, Albert Banzon, Gym Lumbera
Editing Andreas Kern, Kajetan Forster, Roland Forster, Toni Werner, Lawrence S. Ang
Music Sir Henry, Khavn, Tilman Wollf, Diego Mapa
Sound Design Mikko Quizon
Sound Michel Kurz, Frédéric Krauke
Production Design Martin Yambao
Costumes Zeus Bascon, Kim Perez
Assistant Director Kristine Kintana
Production Managers Barbara Barnak, Kristine Kintana, Santie Navarro
Producers Alexander Kluge, Stephan Holl, Antoinette Köster
Executive Producers Khavn, Achinette Villamor

World Sales

Rapid Eye Movies

Produced by

Kairos Film

Rapid Eye Movies

Photos

Berlinale Meets | Interview

Alexander Kluge

© Markus Kirchgessner

Born in Halberstadt, Germany in 1932, he studied law, history and church music. He was one of the originators of the Oberhausen Manifesto in 1962. In 1966, he completed his first feature film, Abschied von gestern. His latest work, the collaborative film Happy Lamento, screened at the 2018 Venice Film Festival.

Filmography (selection)

1966 Abschied von Gestern 1967 Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos 1970 Der große Verhau (The Big Mess) 1972 Willi Tobler und der Untergang der 6. Flotte 1973 Gelegenheitsarbeit einer Sklavin 1974 In Gefahr und größter Not bringt der Mittelweg den Tod (In Danger and Deep Distress, the Middle Way Spells Certain Death); co-directed by Edgar Reitz 1976 Der starke Ferdinand 1978 Deutschland im Herbst; Omnibus film, Director of several episodes 1979 Die Patriotin 1980 Der Kandidat (The Candidate); co-directed by Volker Schlöndorff, Stefan Aust and Alexander von Eschwege 1983 Krieg und Frieden (War and Peace); co-directed by Stefan Aust, Axel Engstfeld and Volker Schlöndorff · Die Macht der Gefühle 1985 Der Angriff der Gegenwart auf die übrige Zeit 1986 Vermischte Nachrichten (Odds and Ends); co-directed by Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus 1993 Veränderung ist das Salz des Vergnügens 2002 Der gefrorene Blitz 2012 Mensch 2.0 – Die Evolution in unserer Hand 2018 Happy Lamento 2020 Orphea

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020

Khavn

© Jesed Moreno

As the director of 51 feature-length and 115 short films, author of six books and composer of 23 albums, he is one of the Philippines’ most renowned contemporary artists. His poetry and stories have won him the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award. He was a member of the Short Film Jury at the 2009 Berlinale. In 2017, the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen presented “Happyland”, the biggest exhibition of Khavn’s work outside the Philippines so far.

Filmography (selection)

2007 Sqatterpunk 2008 Manila in the Fangs of Darkness · The Muzzled Horse of an Engineer in Search of Mechanical Saddles 2009 The Middle Mystery of Kristo Negro 2010 Mondomanila 2013 Misericordia - The Last Mystery of Kristo Vampiro 2014 Ruined Heart - Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore 2015 Desparadiso 2016 Simulcarum Tremendum · Alipato – The Very Brief Life of an Amber 2017 Balangiga: Howling Wilderness 2018 Bamboo Dogs · Happy Lamento 2020 Orphea

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2020