Quirin Bäumler

"The Eternal Face" - Since he took his father's death mask he has stopped carving. The sculptor, guided by an internal voice, must leave. He departs from his Bavarian village and family, who belong to an indefinite past, and sets off for Prague. On his journey he has visions: Tadpoles squirming in a puddle, a worm writhing in agony, a flying eagle attacking a swan and a dreamlike masked procession which files past him. Upon his arrival in Prague he meets an invalid dancer - she has been expecting him. Seized by a quiet affection for one another, they take a coach-ride through the desolate streets of fin de siècle Prague. But death is also closing in on her.

Set in a Medieval town, the film has a theatrical quality, as the behaviours and actions of the characters are exaggerated almost to the point of satire. Nevertheless, its relatively dark and heavy plot yields over-the-top expressions from the actors. There is little dialogue as the story opens: a mother is seen tending to her sick daughter, whom she is then told must be sacrificed to the forest. The viewers patiently but curiously watch the mother perform healing rituals with objects like egg shells, dried plants and twigs–also recurring in the installation–until the daughter mysteriously disappears.