FILMMAKING
PARSIFAL
A selection of excerpts from my in-progress cinematic adaptation of Richard Wagner’s 'Parsifal'. Conceived and directed as a multimedia meditation on the power of myth, ritual, and the fragility of human memory, the film combines original footage, classical motifs and artworks, and experimental film styles to adapt the entirety of Wagner's last work for the screen. I have served as director, editor, and colorist on all sequences.
"SHE RAISED HIM IN FEAR" - EXCERPT FROM 'PARSIFAL'
Through a veil of radiant color, this excerpt features the mysterious Kundry’s narration of the hero Parsifal’s isolated forest upbringing at the worried hands of his young, widowed mother (a moment typically rendered as sung exposition in theatrical productions). For this film adaptation, I chose to visualize the backstory, aligning with this adaptation’s broader meditation on memory. This flashback scene was shot on old videotape, as I was drawn to its soft, degraded texture and its strong sense of point-of-view, in an effort to evoke the hazy, imperfect way in which we recall our own pasts.
"TERRIBLE DISTRESS" - EXCERPT FROM 'PARSIFAL'
This excerpt from 'Parsifal' captures a tense exchange between the self-castrated sorcerer Klingsor and Kundry, a tormented figure ensnared by his curse. Though compelled to obey his will, she resists with what little defiance she can summon. In a moment of furious indignation, Klingsor reveals the bitterness and rejection that led to his mutilation and descent into darkness. Live action, stop-motion techniques, animation, and vivid colors were used to conjure a sense of the fevered, distressed psyche of this tortured antagonist.
"CODA: THE WOUND THAT WILL NOT CLOSE" – EXCERPT FROM 'PARSIFAL'
In this epilogue to the second act of 'Parsifal', Kundry is shown suffering a ghastly disfigurement in the aftermath of the destruction of Klingsor’s castle by Parsifal. Bound by a curse that denies her death, she remains conscious and broken, unable to succumb to her gruesome injuries. Here, I opted to interpret the emotional weight of Wagner’s stage directions rather than adhering to them literally. Conceived as a coda to the intensity of the act, this scene was devised specially for this film adaptation.
CREDITS
'Parsifal: Ein Bühnenweihfestspiel' written and composed by Richard Wagner
Conducted by Sir Georg Solti with the Vienna Philharmonic
DIRECTION, EDITING, COLOR GRADING
Griffin Kaiser
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ashley Marzulla, Griffin Kaiser
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Anthony Miksad
ADDITIONAL SOUND DESIGN
Aidan Wells
FEATURED PERFORMANCES
Kundry — Rachael Dimichino (vocal performance: Christa Ludwig)
Klingsor — Kevin Bapp (vocal performance: Zoltán Kelemen)
Herzeleide — Alessandra Zavattari
Young Klingsor — Connor Wilcoxen