Goldfisch im Hamsterrad
a short film
from Kollektiv Senfblau
A young woman suffering from depression tries to figure out her unbearable carousel of thoughts with herself. In the form of a taped diary, she tries to return to her zest for life and a casual, carefree way, but does not find the strength to share her distressing thoughts with people who could help her.
Logline
Title: Goldfisch im Hamsterrad / Goldfish in a hamsterwheel
Launch: July 2022
Duration: 13:00
Camera: Arri Amira
Awards: GoMental Filmfestival, more tba
Goldfish in a hamster wheel is not a dark drama about depression. The focus is much more on the seemingly banal little things of everyday life. A contradiction arises between obvious ease and the overwhelming, monotonous world of thoughts that make everyday tasks a real challenge.
We would like to break taboos and take up a social topic again that couldn't be more topical than in this special time. Many fellow human beings struggle with psychological problems and meanwhile people from their own circle of acquaintances are also affected. This was reason enough that we wanted to take a closer look at this topic and do educational work with our project so that many of those affected do not have to step into cold water, as has happened to us personally. We are particularly interested in the various clinical pictures and those pictures and fears that those affected have to struggle with. On the basis of many conversations with psychologists & those affected, we were able to get to know the symptoms better and get an impression of how the emotional world can feel with this disease.
During the brainstorming process for the narrative form of this project, we played with a wide variety of ideas about the direction it could take. From a documentary to a narrative story, a mix of different genres was also briefly considered. For our project, however, a short film in narrative form proved to be the most suitable. Nevertheless, we were inspired by non-linear elements in order to stay true to our philosophy and also to try to set new accents in the film landscape. We have drawn on images from surrealism and linked them to the critical theme. An approach that should particularly emphasize the approach of our story and resolution. Our goal was to depict the inner images of a sick person and to make them tangible. The result is an interplay between the real world and monochrome images from the world of thought.
Due to a reduced number of location changes, we also tried to bring the emotion and the character into the foreground through slow camera movements and few cuts, thus reducing our message to the essentials.
Image concept
In our sound concept, we also wanted to bridge the two worlds of our affected person. In addition to the real world in which our character spends her everyday life, we wanted to clarify her own inner world above all. As already described in the character's backstory, we will solve this by means of a sound recorder on which she documents her life, her fears and circumstances on a daily basis.
Sound concept
Big thanks to everyone
who put so much love in this project:
who put so much love in this project:
Claudia Kainberger
Christoph Amort, Patricia Neuhauser, Christoph Platzer
Constanze Radak, Simon Alexander Höbert, Lena Riedler, Markus Beham
Magdalena Umkehrer, Lea Sophie Kurz, Paula Nikolussi, Michelle Pointinger
Magdalena Umkehrer, Lea Sophie Kurz, Paula Nikolussi, Michelle Pointinger
Oliver Rienzner, Lukas Ignaz Halder, Max Blum,
Michael Thelonious Hamel, Jakob Vasak, Francesco Schmitz Zecchin,
Michael Thelonious Hamel, Jakob Vasak, Francesco Schmitz Zecchin,
Magdalena Vlajcic, Chiara Guscelli
Valentina Lancelotti
Till Fuhrmeister
Till Fuhrmeister
Image rights
Lea Sophie Kurz, Christoph Platzer
Much love to Claudia, who supported us in developing a character for our project that we are extremely happy with. Not to mention how she brought the character to the screen. We are overwhelmed and grateful for this journey and experience.
Thank you!
