In his film “Shirley - Visions of Reality” Austrian director Gustav Deutsch brought to life 13 of Edward Hopper’s paintings while telling the story of a woman, whose thoughts, emotions and contemplations let us observe an era in American history.
The film was streamed through Vimeo from February 2 through March 1, 2021.
TRAILER
When: Tuesday, February 2, through Monday, March 1, 2021
Where: online | Vimeo
ABOUT THE FILM
SHIRLEY - VISIONS OF REALITY
Directed by Gustav Deutsch
Austria, 2013
92 min, in English
The film tells the story of a woman. A woman in America in the 30s, 40s, 50s, and early 60s. A woman who attempts to influence the course of history with her professional and socio-political involvement. A woman who doesn’t accept the reality around her as given but rather a made up and changeable construct. A woman who works as an actress and is used to staging reality, portraying realness and is therefore able to question and shape it herself. A woman who doesn’t strive for solo success as an actress or stardom in the future but feels like part of a collective aspiring to give social potency to theater. A woman who can’t identify with the dominant role model of the concept of a wife yet longs to have a life partner. A woman who doesn’t compromise in moments of professional crisis and isn’t afraid to take on menial jobs to secure her livelihood. A woman who in a moment of private crisis decides to stick to her partner and puts her own professional interest on the back burner. A woman who is furious with political repression yet doesn’t resign in despair and who has nothing but disdain for betrayal. An attractive, charismatic, committed, emancipated woman.
More information on the movie is available in the official Press booklet here.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
GUSTAV DEUTSCH | Director
Photo © KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production
Gustav Deutsch was an Austrian filmmaker and artist, who lived and worked in Vienna and Aegina. He was born 1952 in Vienna, went to primary school and grammar school there and completed his architectural studies at the Technische Universität Wien until1979. From 1980 to 1983, Deutsch was a member of the Medienwerkstatt Wien, working on numerous video artworks. In 1983 he became a member of the artists group DER BLAUE KOMPRESSOR, Flosting & Stomping Company. 1984 he created joint works with Hanna Schimek (D&S). From 1989 onward there were numerous film works. 1996 Gustav Deutsch became a member of SIXPACKFILM. From 2003 to 2019 he was the artistic director of the AEGINA ACADEMY / A Forum for Art & Science. He died on November 2, 2019 in Vienna.
ABOUT THE PROTAGONIST
STEPHANIE CUMMING | Shirley
Photo © Maria Knoll
Stephanie Cumming is a Canadian dancer, choreographer and performer living in Vienna. She was born in northern British Columbia in 1977 and graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary Dance in 2000. In 2001 she relocated to Vienna where she has been living and working ever since. She has been working primarily with Austrian choreographer Chris Haring for the past ten years and together with him and musician Andreas Berger and dramaturge Thomas Jelinek created the internationally acclaimed dance company Liquid Loft in 2005. Cumming has performed in all of Liquid Loft’s repertoire throughout Europe as well as Asia, including Posing Project B: The Art of Seduction which won the Golden Lion for best performance at the Venice Biennale in 2007. She recently appeared on stage with Vienna based theatre company Toxic Dreams. Her own work has been presented in Austria at Tanzquartier Wien and the Impulstanz festival, as well as internationally in Holland, Slovenia and Hungary. Through her work with Liquid Loft she has appeared in many films from Austrian-Bulgarian filmmaker Mara Mattuschka, including Burning Palace.