THE ASSISTANT

It's the early 20th century: Joseph Marti is a bookbinder, just another face in the crowd. However, life changes when his supervisor smacks him on the head with a badly glued book. Unable to take the humiliation anymore, Joseph quits on a whim. Fortunately, he soon finds new employment as an assistant to the mysterious inventor Tobler on the latter's family estate. Things start out promisingly enough: Joseph receives a warm meal, his own room and new clothing. Alas, his new home, though bathed in sunlight, quickly reveals its shadow side: Tobler expects absolute devotion. Joseph is to get neither compensation, respect nor appreciation in return. Nevertheless, his desire for belonging is stronger than his need to be free. A dangerous relationship of dependency runs its course. The most recent collaboration from filmmaking couple Anka and Wilhelm Sasnal is based on Robert Walser's novel "Der Gehülfe" (1908). Together they overlay the original literary source material with their own expressive visual language. The result is an anachronistic dance on the edge of the abyss, infused with a modern soundtrack, surreal elements and biting humour.