The Rape of the Sabine WomenOpening night
Developed through improvisation, The Rape of the Sabine Women is a reinterpretation of the Roman myth, updated and set in the idealistic 1960s.
With this improvised dramatization, Sussman follows her lauded video 89 Seconds at Alcazar - based on the scene painted by Diego Velasquez in Las Meninas - by bringing another iconic painting to life.
Filmed with a cast of hundreds and shot on location in Greece and Germany, this unique reimagining pits mid-twentieth century ideals against the eternal themes of power, longing, and desire.
A product of 140 hours of video footage and 6000 photographs, The Rape of The Sabine Women features distinct music composed by Jonathan Bepler, incorporating a bouzouki ensemble, a Pergamon coughing choir, and a chorus of 800 voices.
Screens with Daniel Askill's short We Have Decided Not to Die (12 mins, 2004, Australia), a modern day allegorical triptych in which three figures undergo transformation through three rituals: birth, between and rebirth. The visual poetry of the film is captivating, evoking a surreal ritualistic world, where characters appear to float free of space and time.
