The School of Decadence

"The desert grows ..."

(Mara Mattuschka)


Mattuschka humorously reflects upon the meaning of (written) signs, for example in Kaiserschnitt. Similarly, but on a more abstract level, in Schule der Ausschweifung numerous bugs form on Mimi’s belly as she stretches out in a landscape of cacti. We hear from off-screen that she feels herself encircled by “the little black-winged bugs dancing around her,” as well as surrounded by “even more malicious” thoughts. The last shot of the film resembles the alphabet from Kaiserschnitt: The bugs are seen directly arranged like a typeset sentence on a transparent animation cell, Minus Mimi’s body.

(Christa Blüminger)

Orig. Title
Die Schule der Ausschweifung
Year
1986
Country
Austria
Duration
5 min
Category
Avantgarde/Arts
Orig. Language
not specified
Credits
Director
Hans Werner Poschauko, Mara Mattuschka
Script
Hans Werner Poschauko, Mara Mattuschka
Available Formats
16 mm (Original Format)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,37
Sound Format
mono
Frame Rate
24 fps
16 mm (Original Format)