
Risse in der Genusskuppel
Cracks In The Pleasuredome
Work in progress - Subject to change

Project Outline
“Risse in der Genusskuppel” (Cracks In The Pleasuredome) is the multimedia outcome of two intertwined debuts: The soundtrack- and library influenced cinematic jazz album of composer Dustin Braun and a found footage film edited by Matthias Alraum.
Aesthetic references from both genres serve as a starting point for a project that continuously bounces ideas between the modalities of soundtrack and moving picture, forming an audiovisual narrative that tells a secretly careworn story between the lines of ephemeral pleasures and adventurous excitements.
Early outlines of the post-capitalist vacation industry we find in contemporary southern Europe are serving as visual source material. Found footage shot between the 1960s and the 1980s consequently references a cultural period where European soundtrack composition was at its peak, providing the base for the music as a blurry and reimagined narrative reference alongside the pictures - being told by compositions and their titles rather than words and dialogue.


Background
A collection of thrifted 8mm amateur footage provides a vast amount of material that at first glance documents pure joy and pleasure. We see beautiful landscapes, hotels, food, adventures, flora and fauna shot across various countries of europe’s geographical south.
On viewing, documenting and compiling the footage, more and more questions began to emerge: How can we use private footage that we can most likely not ask for permission? Can we find out who they were? Do these places still exist? What responsibility do we have when we choose what shots make it into the cut? Where is the line between privacy and exposure? Can we give a second life to these beautiful pictures while making sure that we don’t exploit intimate moments of the vacationers who filmed them for us over more than 20 years?


Concept
Answering these questions provided the conceptual baseline that allowed us to begin editing and composing: We are searching for narratives that can be formed by recompiling the footage, becoming spectators with our own point of view, forming our own meanings, and hiding those meanings within seemingly lighthearted moments that will later on develop into a purely capitalist vacation industry.
As a result, a critical view on the political and post-capitalist situation more than 60 years later emerged. As we see mass demonstrations against the tourist industry (e.g. Palma, Mallorca) and its negative impact on the life of locals where raising rents and low wages are making their life increasingly complicated, an exclusion of these critical perspectives became impossible. These demonstrations happen at the exact same places the footage was shot over 50 years ago. This new perspective required more careful examination of the material. What is hidden behind the first layer of footage documenting a perfect world of positivity and gluttony? Where can we see cracks and tears forming in the pleasuredome, and how can we excavate and hint at them through musical composition?


Current State / Proof of Concept
The attached edits provide a rough outline where the project will go visually, musically and conceptually. It consists of 1080p scans of roughly 10% of the material, alongside demo versions of the music for some of the planned scenes. It roughly outlines a dramaturgical arch and is only serving as a proof of concept. Next steps would include an archival grade (ideally 4k+ resolution) digitalization of the complete material, enabling a finalization of the storytelling backbone and editing concepts, as well as finalizing the arrangements for the musical productions. The intended final length is 20-30 Minutes of film and an extended soundtrack album.

Potential Outcome
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Shared physical album & movie release. Preferably on vinyl and dvd with booklet providing conceptual background and additional prints
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Audiovisual live performances alongside cinema screenings
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Listening and/or screening tour across smaller venues (e.g. listening bars)
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Film festival submissions
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Independent movie streaming platform releases