Licht

A film by Barbara Albert. In german.

Set in 1770s Vienna, LICHT fol­lows an aspi­ring young harp­s­ichor­dist who­se magi­cal play­ing has alre­a­dy gai­ned noti­ce among high socie­ty. A fly in the oint­ment: the pro­di­gy is a woman, and blind. Maria Theresia von Paradis plays by ear and instinct, with heigh­ten­ed sen­ses, yet her atten­ti­ve mother and father want not­hing more than to res­to­re her sight, by wha­te­ver means pos­si­ble. Maria Theresia and her par­ents are soon at the door­step of a phy­si­ci­an who is just begin­ning to estab­lish a repu­ta­ti­on in vien­nese socie­ty: Dr. Mesmer. LICHT revol­ves around this doc­tor-pati­ent rela­ti­onship, allo­wing Albert to del­ve into a series of the­mes: gen­der dyna­mics; sci­ence ver­sus art; age and youth. Mesmer was per­cei­ved by the non-aco­lytes as a bit of a quack, but under his gent­le care, Theresia makes see­mingly mira­cu­lous pro­gress. Meanwhile socie­ty grows sus­pi­cious, her play­ing style is affec­ted, and Theresia’s once-sup­port­i­ve fami­ly beg­ins to doubt Mesmer. (Toronto Film Festival)

Credits:
Österreich/D, 2017, 97 Min.

Regie: Barbara Albert
Drehbuch: Kathrin Resetarits
based on the novel «Mesmerized» by Alissa Walser
Kamera: Christine A. Maier
Schnitt: Niki Mossböck

mit:
Maria Dragus
Devid Striesow
Lukas Miko
Katja Kolm