Exactly one year ago Christiane Mudra brought out her “Holy Bitch Project” at the Pathos Theater. It was an evening about violence against women, about sexual harassment, rape, murders by husbands who don’t want to be left, who consider the woman their property, about disinterested law enforcement agencies, atavistic role models and about incels, misogynists who run amok. Back then you walked around in pathos, had a mask on your face, headphones on your head, you heard a surround sound design and many, many voices. After that you were exhausted, agitated, angry.
For her great project, the experienced documentary theater maker had researched for a long time, conducted interviews with women affected for a year, and created a program book that could become a standard work on the subject. But: Due to the corona virus, not that many people were able to see this important performance, and it was not financially possible to resume it. So Mudra made a film with Hubert Neufeld and Gregor Simbrunner behind the cameras. This now had its premiere in the Monopol cinema.
It is far more than a filmed performance; their situation shines through again and again, but the participants acquire a cinematic autonomous impact, they come much closer than in the theater; Corinna Ruba sings Desdemona’s “Ave Maria”. In the past two years there have been many attempts to convert theater into film, “Holy Bitch” is far ahead of most of these ventures, as a hybrid between film and theater it is unique. Further screenings are planned at Monopol, especially participation in film festivals. The wealth of material and its emotionally gripping preparation must not be lost.