Orphea

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.

Source: 70. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)