Unsichtbares Gift*

Sophie Bösker, Lorenz Zenleser

„Unsichtbares Gift“ (Invisible Toxins) was meant to be the title of a film concept about electromagnetic radiation and 5G. In March 2020, the team saw their project shattered into pieces because of Covid-19. Sophie fled to her parents’ house to the countryside, where she decided to realize her master project nonetheless. Adapting to the situation she decided to make a science fiction movie with and about her parents.

A retired doctor is living a quiet everyday life with his family in the Bavarian countryside. He is enjoying sunbathing on the terrace and giving talks about physics to his children. One night, he observes the new satellite constellation „Starlink“ established by SpaceX to provide satellite Internet access. The next day, the protagonist experiences some crucial shifts in his perception of reality. His family is acting weirdly. Something or somebody seems to influence his surroundings and he has sufficient reasons to believe that there is a connection to the electromagnetic radiation sent out by the satellites.

The pre-Covid concept for the short documentary „Unsichtbares Gift“ envisaged a journey which explores the real and unreal hazards that lurk behind our daily use of technological devices. However, with Covid-19 another kind of „Invisible Toxin“ interfered and made the realization of the film project as originally planned impossible. Fleeing from her tiny flat in Vienna, Sophie travelled to her parents’ house located in a small village in Southern Bavaria. Next to the fact that she was thus physically separated from her team partner Lorenz, she had to realize that it turned out to be challenging to produce a movie on her own in her parents’ house – especially as they are neither professional actors nor have a special interest in becoming so. The resulting project is the attempt to film a science fiction movie with and about her family – without them being aware of it. Is it possible to capture scenes from daily life and turning them into a fictional movie by montage? Whether this experiment will fail or not – „Unsichtbares Gift“ will at least tell a story about family disputes, personal fulfilment, love and alien powers.

Time: June 2020
Location: Bavarian countryside
Team: Sophie Bösker; Lorenz Zenleser
Links: https://vimeo.com/469738188