Story the scene takes place during:
ACT III, Day 5, PART I: The inner-ground
Characters LUKEN, CARACOLA
and 9 inner senses: ACOL, OLA, NUE, LAD,
MIR, VILDIR, KEL, LU and CARA.
Space Saqqara Necropolis, Egypt
Dates 4-10 November 2024

Team & cast confirmed
R&D prep Isabel Lagos and Erika Webe
Direction Isabel Lagos
Movement direction Erika Webe
Actors Eric Whiteford, Erika Webe,
Julie Pusch and Vivek Maddala
Camera assistant Adam Granqvist
Teaser/trailer edit Coriandre
Production assistants Gustav Bender
Set Design Kaleva You
Costume & Makeup Sophie Bellote
Music Julie Pusch and Vivek Maddala

 ೃ ⁀ ➷  call for
Actors for the parts of:
NUE, OLA, VILDIR, LAD, ACOL, LU and KEL
Cinematographer
Producer
Site Coordinator
Cook

Description of this Vertex
 

• The Story and script for the film-scene has been written. 
   

• The list of People is longer than for the first two Vertices. There are 11 Characters in the scene and we are in the search for 7 actors to join.
  As for the team, same as for Paris, we are calling out for a Producer,  a Cinematographer, a local Coordinator and a Cook.
   

• Why Saqqara necropolis?
  We believe in art as a means of transformation. We deeply believe in the story of Theatre State as a reminder of the inner senses (memory, intuition, common sense, imagination and fantasy), they are creators from within, a gift to unravel in our lives. It is up to each of us to be willing to sense these, and if we can master it, make them equals with the outer senses (vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste). The senses we have named “inner" appear in the film as characters with names and artistic skills. They represent these inner senses of our three main characters.
  
  Isabel has previously worked with these concepts combining opera and sign language in the creation of 'The Bear, an opera extravaganza', in Sweden and in Libertalia together with Alexis Johnson and an ensemble of European artists, including Erika Webe in the core founding group. Bringing these senses to light makes quite a different world, and film is a good medium for it.
  
  The Vertex, Footprints, is to be filmed in the Saqqara necropolis as it is be place where the senses awaken. The civilisations of ancient Egypt is surrounded by a mystery which allows us to travel inside and outside ourselves and makes it easier to believe beyond the scope of what is. When we visited Egypt in 2021 we were struck by the unique atmosphere, were we felt the senses present and the story seemed to be telling itself.
  
  An important part of the story of Theatre State is about ways of opening theatre doors and allow people to get to know it. It involves going back to play with ancient memories which seem almost lost to our society. Saqqara necropolis, is the place where we want Footprints to be filmed, and also it is where the story begins.
   

• The story
  LUKEN and CARACOLA are left alone and have no idea what to do.
  The previous Vertex, Vladimir and the Theatre, in Paris, ends with a monologue by VLADIMIR inside the theatre. He is an old painter convincing himself that the theatre is dead, old and dirty and that there is no point in continuing to fight for its existence. It is at that point when Luken and Caracola understand that it is their turn; they have to do something, but what? And how?
  
  A watermelon rolls out of the theatre corridor and down the pyramid.
  Upon reaching the last step, it is caught by ACOL (Caracola's Common Sense), an old clown producer, on his face he has permanent traces of white makeup from times gone by. He approaches OLA (Caracola's Intuition) a poet girl playing in the sand, burying NUE (Luken's Intuition), a young dancer.
  
  Next we see three characters installing a giant picture frame by the side of the pyramid. They are creating a theatrical space in the vastness of the desert, and they must start by framing it. In the film Vladimir makes a huge backdrop with this same scenery. The three characters working with the frame are; MIR, VILDIR and LAD (all Vladimir's inner senses; Imagination, Memory and Fantasy). Next to them is a broken piano, it is in pieces and splays by itself. CARA, a lyrical singer (represents Caracola’s memory) comes out of a tomb and approaches them. The theatrical stage starts shaping up.
  
  Meanwhile Luken and Caracola walk through the desert, carrying a folder with documents, blue working overalls, tools and a ladder. The same tools with which they leave ‘Luken’s Room' in the first Vertex in Gothenburg.
  
  Theatre State it is also a metaphor for our minds - in the desert we can feel the vastness without precise route, everything seems quite similar and at the same time very different. The desert can be felt as empty or as full, in endless possibilities directions will still have to be chosen.
  
  As they walk, KEL’s (Luken’s imagination) voice is heard. (Note: Captions for the deaf will be used throughout the film.) She talks about the need for a change of perspective to be undertaken so that the theatre can continue to exist. We then see her, coming out of the tent and putting on her makeup at the entrance, with a cigarette and a cocktail. The images alternate between the characters, the construction, the game, the desert, the word, the signs, the music and gestures.
  
  Luken and Caracola arrive at to the stage, a space e created by their own senses and those of the painter. The two of them do not see their senses, and while Caracola sits down to observe that extraordinary place, Luken walks onto the stage and some hessian bags gets his attention. He opens them and more sand fills the place, he invites Caracola to play. The game raises their spirits and a new a sense of hope fills them while the walk the sandy stage and after a while they surprised to see many more other FOOTPRINTS around them.
  
  Despite its seriousness, all is of course executed with the necessary sense of humour.
   

• Relevance
  In the film, two children look through the telescope and wonder if there are theatres on other planets. From the centre of the pyramid the upward vertical directionality is directly related to a constellation of stars and through something as absurd as the trajectory of a watermelon are connected.
  
  Another fundamental aspect is to develop the Theatre State film language with local artists. We propose a 'call for artists' so the senses are also interpreted by actors from the region. And since part of the people from our crew and team are deaf and communicate through sign language, we are also focusing on a possible collaboration with local organisations that approach theatre with sign language.