Strings (2004)

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Movie
German title Strings
Original title Strings
Country of production Denmark , Sweden , Norway , Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 2004
length 88 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Rønnow-Klarlund is different
script Anders Rønnow Klarlund,
Naja Marie Aidt
production Niels soon
music Jørgen Lauritsen
camera Kim Hattesen ,
Jan Weincke
cut Leif Axel Kjeldsen

Strings (ger .: threads) is a puppet - film from Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and British co-production. The film premiered on May 15, 2004 at the Cannes Film Market.

background

In this marionette film, the eponymous threads are essential for the plot. For the first time in such a film no attempt was made to keep the threads as invisible as possible. Instead, they're thick and woven into the plot. The characters see the threads as a divine force. Each limb and head is connected with a thread that extends upwards. If one of the threads is cut, for example in a fight, the respective limb is lost; in the case of the head thread, the person dies. A part of the body can, however, be replaced by that of a slave, who serve as a living spare parts store here, for example by removing his arm or leg and attaching it to the other person - the threads remain on the limb and only change hands.

The birth of a new character takes place in an equally mythical way, in that a new one is carved out of wood. Then new threads come loose from the mother's threads, which fall down and are attached to the new figure.

Buildings are all open at the top so that the figures can enter them and not be hindered by the threads. If this is to happen, for example in the case of a city wall, the gate to this is closed at the top and the figure can only go a few steps out because of its thread until its threads obstruct it further.

action

The ancient king of the mythical kingdom of Hebalon, Kahro, kills himself by cutting his head to let his son Hal become king. Before that, he wrote him a farewell letter in which he warned him about his brother Nezo and his assistant Ghrak, who is also out for the throne. He manages to find the letter before Hal and puts the death of the king on the Zeniths, a people with whom Hebalon is strongly enemies. Hal wants to go out with his uncle Erito, the commander of the troops, to find the killer. Erito is blackmailed into preventing Hal from coming back, otherwise his wife Eike and their unborn child would be killed.

Shortly before leaving, Erito seeks advice from an oracle and then goes to war with Hal and the troops. Meanwhile, Eike finds Kahro's letter and shows it to Jhinna, Hal's sister. They are captured by Ghrak, who wants to make Jhinna his wife, while Eike and her child, who has now been born, are put in prison. Hal now has doubts about the war with the Zethris.

criticism

The film's idea of ​​incorporating the marionette strings into the story was unanimously found in reviews to be original and unique. The rather simple plot - a classic heroic story - is referred to as irrelevant, as emphasis was placed on the idea with the threads. On the other hand, the work of the puppeteers is praised, who, although the faces of the characters are completely immobile except for the eyes, knew how to give the characters credible emotions. The camera and the exposure are praised, but the music is sometimes criticized.

Turn

Production of the film began in 2000 and continued for over four years until it was released in 2004. With a budget of four million euros, over 200 people worked on the film.

publication

The film premiered on May 15, 2004 at the Cannes Film Market . In the following September, the film was shown for the first time in Switzerland, then also in numerous other European, American and Asian countries. The film premiered in the United States on June 2, 2005 at the Seattle International Film Festival. In Germany, the film ran for the first time on July 23, 2010 on 3sat in a theme evening about puppet films . In August 2012, Strings was first published in a synchronized version in Germany.

Awards

Sitges Film Festival :

Web links