| Title | HOUSE OF SALT |
| Brand | MARTAN & ASKO SCHONBERG |
| Product/Service | MARTAN & ASKO SCHONBERG |
| Category |
A01. Direction |
|
Entrant
|
CZAR Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
|
|
Idea Creation
|
CZAR Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
|
|
Production
|
CZAR Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
|
Credits
| Willem Gerritsen |
Czar Amsterdam |
Director |
| Willem Bos |
Czar Amsterdam |
Executive Producer |
| Karlijn Paardekooper |
Czar Amsterdam |
Executive Producer |
| Levi Rijper |
Czar Amsterdam |
Head of Creative Content |
| Diek Pothoven |
MARTAN |
Creative Director |
Write a short summary of what happens in the film
We follow a man who seems to be forever dripping with water, who meets a group of people that won’t recognize his presence and pretend he’s simply not there. The film follows the man’s struggle to become part of the Others and learns what he must give up to do so. Initially, the story is inspired by a mysterious ‘piano man’ who washed ashore in Kent in 2005. He walked the streets of the town in a soaking wet suit. Being unable to speak he was brought to the local hospital where he expressed himself only through piano playing. House of Salt takes this peculiar event to a more abstract level and sets out to investigate the themes of xenophobia and identity in human group behavior.
Cultural / Context information for the jury
House of Salt is an immersive collaboration between fashion designer duo MARTAN, writer/director Willem Gerritsen and composer Raphael Vanoli (with the Asko Schonberg Ensemble). The result is a short film in which three art forms melt together in a unique way, working side-by-side in synchronicity.
Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction. Do not name the director.
Normally filmmaking is a linear process. This production turned that filmmaking process on its head. The director had a loose blueprint of what he wanted but asked for the composer to be on set for the production to influence the actors. The composer Raphael Vanoli was playing music during takes and the director encouraged the actors to improvise and make choices based on the sounds they were hearing. This was a risky and unusual choice for the director to make, given the scale of the project, but they felt that having this for the actors in the moment brought bold and raw acting choices to the lens. This decision elevated the actors' performance to a level that is rare