Ann Oren’s new feature film, Objet a, is set to premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, offering a "mind-bending and visceral" exploration of human connection, desire, and control in the digital era. The Berlin-based visual artist and filmmaker, known for her previous work Piaffe, returns to Locarno with a stylized cinematic narrative that delves into the fragile relationships between individuals and their environment, posing profound questions about modern intimacy and identity.
The Genesis of Desire and Control
At the heart of Objet a are Ingeborg and Adam, a formidable couple who are both visionary hand surgeons. Their lives are meticulously orchestrated, bound by a complex interplay of love, professional ambition, and deeply entrenched fixations. Ingeborg, portrayed by Aenne Schwarz, harbors a compulsive need to steal objects, a manifestation of her inner turmoil. Adam, played by Louis Hofmann, exhibits an equally compelling, yet inverse, desire: he yearns to become an object, seeking an ultimate form of identification and perhaps, control.
Their carefully constructed existence is thrown into disarray following an unforeseen accident. This incident introduces an enigmatic force into their lives: Gaia, played by Simone Bucio. Her arrival acts as a potent catalyst, unleashing unexpected desires and threatening to shatter the delicate equilibrium that has long defined Ingeborg and Adam’s symbiotic relationship. The film promises to challenge audiences’ perceptions of control, desire, intimacy, identity, and even kleptomania, inviting a re-evaluation of these fundamental human experiences.
A World Premiere at Locarno
Objet a is slated for its world premiere in the international competition section of the 79th Locarno Film Festival on Tuesday, August 11. The festival, a significant event in the global cinema calendar, provides a prestigious platform for Oren’s latest work, which follows her acclaimed film Piaffe. The ensemble cast includes established talents such as Aenne Schwarz, known for All Is Well and Every You Every Me, and Louis Hofmann, recognized for his roles in All the Light We Cannot See, The Forger, and Dark. Simone Bucio, who also featured in Oren’s Piaffe, takes on the pivotal role of Gaia. Supporting roles are filled by Georg Friedrich (Great Freedom) and Sofia Kokkali (Our Wildest Days), adding further depth to the film’s intricate character dynamics.
The Director’s Vision: Touch in the Digital Age
Ann Oren articulated her core interests in a director’s note, stating her fascination with "human desire and how it connects us to other species." She emphasized the human body as the starting point for her cinematic language, asserting that "the more control we have over it, the more we separate ourselves from the natural world." This philosophy underpins Objet a‘s exploration of physicality and disconnection.
Oren revealed that the film’s initial spark came from contemplating the sense of touch in contemporary society. She pondered the implications of a world where individuals "touch flat screens more than we touch our lover’s skin." This pervasive interaction with plexiglass, she theorizes, leaves fingertips "deprived," creating "zombie-like, hungry fingers" yearning for genuine tactile connection. This concept forms the foundation for Ingeborg and Adam’s "bubbled life," where emotional communication frequently occurs through objects rather than direct physical or emotional engagement.
Choreographed Intimacy and Physicality
The production of Objet a was a deeply physical and collaborative process, as described by the cast. Aenne Schwarz likened her experience to "diving in," requiring both intense immersion and precise control to portray the delicate characters. Louis Hofmann noted that the term "dance" frequently arose during rehearsals, emphasizing the deliberate movement and spatial dynamics between characters. He recalled that physical touch was rare, with tension primarily generated by the careful manipulation of distance and the intense gaze exchanged between Ingeborg and Adam. Schwarz further elaborated that "the gaze was kind of the tension between us. You never lose each other, but sometimes, you are very far and sometimes much closer. But it’s always a thin line holding us together." Hofmann concluded that "the longing for the touch is, I think, omnipresent and that created the tension."
Oren embraced the actors’ interpretation of their movements as marionettes, confirming that her approach to working with actors is inherently physical. She seeks to explore how characters make decisions driven by "gut feeling" rather than rational thought, viewing human beings as a species compelled by instincts they don’t always comprehend. This method aims to infuse scenes with a palpable, charged tension that resonates deeply with viewers.
The Unattainable Object of Desire
The film’s title, Objet a, references a complex concept from Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory, denoting an unattainable object of desire that continuously eludes capture, driving human longing. While Hofmann initially was unaware of the term, he found its principles aligning with his character Adam’s arc: a journey from desiring to be a desired object for others to understanding his own intrinsic wants. Schwarz, with a background in literature, was familiar with Lacan’s ideas and described her own intense, personal encounter with the "objet a" during filming, viewing the film itself as this elusive object that she wished to "touch," "have," and "own," only to find it constantly "slipping away."
This intellectual framework informed the collaborative environment on set. Hofmann described feeling "secure and safe" within Oren’s vision, emphasizing that despite the precise direction, there was ample room for actor input and playfulness. He recounted an instance where mimicking an Austrian accent for fun led Oren to encourage him to explore that vocal placement for his character, illustrating the creative freedom fostered within the structured vision.
Visual Language and Sensory Experience
Oren’s artistic command extends to the film’s visual palette. She explained her deliberate approach to color, aiming for a reduction of natural hues, ranging from whites and beiges to deep browns, with red reserved primarily for the bedroom and subtle background elements. This starkness serves to highlight the eventual introduction of green, which becomes the "guest and the star color," leading to an "ecstatic" sequence. Oren believes this muted natural palette makes Adam and Ingeborg appear "a little bit more like animals," underscoring their primal instincts.
The film’s sensory impact is further amplified by the significant role of objects. Schwarz noted how Ingeborg’s fingertips and eyes became her "sensual organs," with objects like a crutch becoming an extension of her body. Hofmann observed that props like the crutch and his character’s corset had an "immense effect" on the entire team, becoming "extended parts of ourselves." These objects symbolize the disturbing, yet ultimately endearing, impulses that disrupt the couple’s initial symbiosis, pushing them towards unknown desires. Despite the strange nature of these impulses, both actors found a "playful" and "tender" quality in the characters’ journey, ensuring the film avoids being merely "dark and scary."
Rituals, Control, and Ecstasy
Oren sees rituals as integral to her storytelling, linking them to "obsessions with control." Adam’s character, for instance, is consumed by controlling and developing his body, seeking attention through physical mastery. However, Oren posits that such control often leads to a "disconnection from the natural world," a pervasive "contemporary condition." Rituals, whether mundane or spiritual, offer a form of relaxation and a means to "forget ourselves and connect with something larger."
The film progresses from characters connected to controlling their lives and objects towards a "psychedelic experience that is like ecstasy." Oren connects this to a contemporary "renaissance now of psychedelics," reflecting a universal human need for "ego loss" and connection beyond the self in an increasingly controlled world. This narrative arc is designed to "lure" the audience through passion rather than didacticism. The unique sexuality depicted between Ingeborg and Adam, where certain body parts are "canceled" and intimacy becomes a "clinical" exchange of touch, further highlights their attempts to control passion, making their choices "absurd and interesting."
Broader Implications and Future Release
Oren sees Objet a as a reflection on the "human condition, our bubbled life," and its potential to lead to societal "disaster," citing contemporary issues like "war, climate catastrophe and tech fascism." While the film features fantastical elements and unique characters, it aims to resonate with the current global state. Oren intentionally works with ambiguity, desiring that viewers leave the film unable to summarize it in a single sentence, ensuring a lasting, thought-provoking impact.
The screenplay for Objet a was penned by Ann Oren and Geoffroy Grison. Juan Sarmiento G. (The Voice of Hind Rajab, A Poet) served as cinematographer, while Hansjörg Weißbrich (Rose, Late Shift) handled the editing. The film was produced by Schuldenberg Films in co-production with Tarantula, asterisk, and ERT. Following its Locarno premiere, Objet a* is scheduled for a theatrical release in Germany through Grandfilm in the first quarter of 2027. Oscilloscope Laboratories has secured the North American distribution rights, with Bendita Film Sales managing international sales, positioning the film for a wide global reach. Oren, Schwarz, and Hofmann discussed the production’s blend of seriousness and humor, their collaborative choreography, and the timely nature of the film’s themes in a pre-premiere interview, underscoring its relevance and artistic depth.
