PARSIFAL
Over seven years in the making, this new film of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal merges animation, painting, and live performance into a bold new cinematic vision, set to Sir Georg Solti’s legendary 1972 recording with the Vienna Philharmonic.
"SHE RAISED HIM IN FEAR" - EXCERPT FROM PARSIFAL
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). This scene has been shot on old videotape, as I am drawn to its soft, degraded texture and its strong sense of point-of-view (as viewed, perhaps, through the hazy memory of the youthful Parsifal).
"TERRIBLE DISTRESS" - EXCERPT FROM PARSIFAL
This excerpt from 'Parsifal' depicts a tense exchange between the self-castrated sorcerer Klingsor and Kundry (who, trapped under his spell, must submit to his wicked command). In this scene, Klingsor reveals the bitterness and rejection that led to his self-mutilation and retreat into this distorted "mirror-realm" of his own magical creation. Live action, stop-motion techniques, animation are used to visualize the tale of how Klingsor failed in his ambition to achieve the holiness he so greatly desired.
"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. As she is bound by her curse (which denies her death), she remains painfully awake 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 by adding this scene as a "coda", of sorts, at the end of the second act.




"Heav'n but the Vision of fulfill'd Desire,
And Hell the Shadow from a Soul on fire,
Cast on the Darkness into which Ourselves,
So late emerged from, shall so soon expire." 
- Omar Khayyam
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

English subtitles adapted from the translation by Derrick Everett, which can be viewed on his website, Monsalvat.no 
Minor alterations have been made here for subtitle flow and clarity.