This is what it's all about.
The clowns stumble and get back up. They are not afraid of failure and their own ridicule and that sets them free. The documentary takes the joker and his goofy demeanor from his familiar circus milieu and explores the complex nature and diverse expressions of this iconic figure.
«The Fool’s Waltz» goes on an immersive journey to foolish phenomena and their diverse manifestations worldwide and shows amazing connections and parallels between clown figures in different cultures. We are interested in the clownish and at the same time holy character of the Hopi, an indigenous North American tribe. This foolish mediator turns society upside down by reminding people of their tribal values with his provocative behavior, for example to reflect the world of excessive consumption.
The feature film illuminates the clown behind the well-known image of the funny entertainer, as an ambiguous figure, a non-conformist anarchist and catalyst for revolutionary impulses - and raises the questions what else could be possible with the freedom of the fool nowadays?
What's special about that film?
We are pleased that two extraordinary clown personalities are already interested in this film project for this initial research. We accompany the world-famous clown Gardi Hutter and how, through her legendary character Hanna, she exposes «things that are hidden, that cannot be disciplined and that have been repressed, under the well-kept turf of a front garden.» And we visit the Italian provocateur Leo Bassi, who describes himself as the last court jester and mocks Catholicism with weekly foolish sermons in his «Duck Church» in Madrid.
As part of the research and thanks to this crowdfunding, we will get to know these two clowns better and further examine the extent to which the clown and foolishness are still present in various societies, both fascinating and disturbing - and how the archaic figure invites reflection and rethinking through provocation and irritation. Something that is needed more than ever these days.
This is what we need backing for.
We are in the development phase before we can hopefully start formally submitting for development funds soon. To this end, we use our own funds to finance further research trips to various clowns and foolish phenomena in order to define the idea and the main characters and to increase the chances of receiving public funding. The hoped-for amount of 15’000 Euros via wemakeit supports us significantly in this initial phase - thank you very much!!
