PIAFFE review by Shelly Schoeneshoefer
The introverted Eva ( Simone Bucio ) hangs heavily on her sibling Zara ( Simon Jaikiriuma Paetau ) who suffers from a nervous breakdown . Her attempts to make contact are completely blocked . She ’ s forced to take on Zara ’ s job as a foley studio artist in order to survive . So , what is a foley studio ? Foley studios were created to add sounds to live broadcasts of radio dramas in 1928 . Nowadays , reproductions of everyday sound effects are added to films and videos to enhance the audio quality ; therefore , sound plays a strong role . German director Ann Oren has created a surrealistic atmosphere . Sounds include a range of experimental sounds such as clapping coconut husks or a massive chain clenching against Eva ’ s teeth . This reminded me of the 2012 British psychological horror film Berberian Sound Studio by Peter Strickland , which is one of the rare films that included a foley studio .
Piaffe switches from color to black and white , adding another layer to this fantasy world . Eva grows a horse ’ s tail while working intensely on a film clip of a horse performing a piaffe . Piaffe is a dressage movement in which a horse is in a highly collected and cadenced in-place trot . The movement is elegant and controlled on film , except Eva just can ’ t get it right . Her inexperience takes her on a journey where she learns empowerment , self-confidence , and control . Our journey crosses a fantasy line where we are confronted with irrational , submissive , and sexual dreamlike sequences , including slow-motion film footage of ferns ’ growth patterns relating to fetishes , obsessions , and gender .
At Q & A ( question and answer ), Oren confirmed Piaffe has been selected for both European and American distribution . She pitched a difficult sale , since the script was only fifty pages in length and was seen as an art project and not an art house film . 86 minutes
© SALZGEBER & COMPANY MEDIEN
PIAFFE ****
GERMANY 2022 OPENING MAY 4 , 2023
DIRECTED BY : ANN OREN WRITING CREDITS : THAIS GUISASOLA , ANN OREN
PRINCIPAL ACTORS : SIMONE BUCIO , SIMON JAIKIRIUMA PAETAU ,
SEBASTIAN RUDOLPH , BJÖRN MELHUS
CURRENTS 69