"It
makes absolutely no difference where
you live Russia, France, America
as long as you speak the same
language, over and above words, which
everybody understands." That's how
female lead Chulpan Hamatova defines
the secret of Veit Helmer's dialogue-free
feature debut.
The
multi-lingual cast got on famously
during the shoot, and the film is
a forceful argument for the narrative
power of the pure image. Helmer has
created a surreal, enclosed world
which functions according to slighty
different principles than the rest
of the planet.
The
film's distinctive look tinted
black-and-white images and ingenious
set constructions is the result
of enormous attention to detail. Helmer
searched all of Europe before finding
the derelict baths in Sofia in which
this offbeat fairytale unfolds.
