“Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem Feuerzeug” / “The Dreadful Story of Harriet and the Matches”
Ein Häuflein Asche bleibt allein
Und beide Schuh', so hübsch und fein.
So she was burnt, with all her clothes,
And arms, and hands, and eyes, and nose;
Till she had nothing more to lose
Paulinchen desperately wants to strike the matches even though everyone tells her it is far too dangerous. Unsatisfied with self-restraint, she realizes that no matter how careful she is, death is inescapable. “Paulinchen” offers three versions of this insatiably curious protagonist, and while the road for all of them leads to an eventual death, their experiences of living are drastically different. In this reinterpretation of “The Dreadful Story of Harriet and the Matches,” each Paulinchen weighs her seemingly self-destructive desires against society’s call for cautiousness in the name of the greater good. And as she embodies the most joyful version of herself, the audience is tempted to wonder if we are living for ourselves or to satisfy those around us.
10 minutes, 28 seconds
Filmed in Berlin, Germany
Choreographer/Director: Sameena Mitta
Videographer/Video Editor: Alicja Hoppel
Performer: Minna Liimatainen
Costume Designer: Sarah Timberlake
Composer: SlowPitchSound
