A System-Critical Intermezzo.
As a child, he performs magic tricks at family gatherings. Then he becomes a primary school teacher. He plans to marry a nice woman, have children. A completely normal life. But his life takes a different turn. After overcoming depression, mania, compulsory hospitalization and the suicide of his brother, Christian Perleth is back on stage – as magician ZaPPaloTT. On stage he sets in scene his experiences and tells stories about a system that almost destroyed him.
The portrait lets him tell his story and makes the inner struggle of the protagonist audible. A story about breakdown and escape, about the courage to be different and to find one’s own way.
text / sound / directing
Carina Pesch
commissioning editor
Fabian Elsäßer
voices
Christian Perleth, Siri
images
Michael Stegerwald, JK
production
SWR 2015
rebroadcasted 20th February 2020 3:05 p.m. on SWR2 Leben.
rebroadcasted 5th September 2015 9:04 a.m. on rbb Kulturradio and mdr Kultur.
presented 21st May 2015 9:45 a.m. during the 41. International Feature Conference in Lublin, Poland.
Original broadcast 12th January 2015 on SWR2 Tandem, under the title: Zusammenbruch.Ausbruch. Der Weg eines Zauberers.
