Paradise

Paradise is a subtle eulogy of the moment when we glimpse the meaning from the end of the timeline, close to death. The story is set in a nursing home in a small Slovenian town and portrays the life of its residents. It is based on documentary material – it builds stories like a mosaic from memories that evoke regrets, fears, and melancholy. It introduces the theme of ageing through the interwoven themes of exclusion, isolation, loneliness, death,
(un)fulfilment of life and physical and mental health. Despite its bitterness, it remains a modern fairy tale that celebrates life.

Justification of the selector of 13TH BIENNIAL OF PUPPETRY ARTISTS OF SLOVENIA

The performance Paradise takes us to a nursing home, where the comic dimensions of the mask are demonstrated in a witty and effective way. As a primordial object of worship and an element that repeatedly dances on the hedge between puppetry and physical theatre, the mask on stage is always associated with ritual. But in this non-verbal performance, the mask awakens within itself the lightness of carefree and unburdened humour. In this casual
tone, the masks blend perfectly with the actors’ bodies, who transform into very witty, yet not caricatured, characters of age and stoopedness, written in the mask. At the same time, the frozen expressions of the masks further emphasise the humorous side of the scenes, which evoke a lot of laughter from everyone except the actors.