Survival
Murphy + Kafka = Blues.
That was the formula for this visual nightmare.
Survival was an atmospheric black comedy. A wordless filmic montage zooming in on one of Murphy’s victims, the somewhat peculiar type K.
He lived in his rickety wooden shack, separated from the other people.
His whole life was one “worst possible moment” larded with trouble. But he managed to face this misère in a surprising way. His struggle against the elements and the official authorities produced startling images, unusual object-actors and visual inventions.
TAMTAM made this production with Dutch writer and painter Wim Hofman. His absurd and lightly cynical way of writing and the simple power of his visual work combine very well with TAMTAM’s well known subtle but black humor.
Add to this the flawless mechanisms of power, as Kafka exposed and the combination of raw object- rhythms, Irish tragedy, Arabic melancholy and biting blues for a soundtrack and the nightmare starts to take shape.
Check the funny fake Hollywood interview with the puppet K. in vintage image quality but we had a lot of fun making it!
Different Dutch newspapers
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten
Idea, design and story development:: Gérard Schiphorst, Marije van der Sande en Wim Hofman
Music and soundscape: Gérard Schiphorst
Lighting technician: Bert Nijmeijer
Design and execution of the backdrop: Maaike Folmer
Female voice: Margot Olde Loohuis
Photography: Femke Teussink