Photo: Jakub Wittchen
The actors of Teatr Biuro Podróży gathered a triple round of applause from an audience of 500 at Moscow's Central House of Artists.
Inspired by Stanisław Lem's witty and poignant diagnosis of the contemporary world, the visionary outdoor performance of "Planet Lem" reflected on the impact of technological progress on man. The showing on the 21st of September was part of the Russian Newcultures Festival.
The performance created by the Teatr Biuro Podróży theatre group is inspired by the works of Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem. Lem, Poland's most translated contemporary writer (his works have been published in 41 languages) rose to fame with his 1961 novel "Solaris" which has since been adapted to film three times, although it was "The Cyberiad" (English-language release: 1974) that propelled the author to international acclaim. Other popular works include "His Master's Voice" (1968) and "Fiasco" (1987). His unique, witty and poignant reflections on the relation between technological progress and human limitation have led to film adaptations (most notable is Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 version of "Solaris". Recently the same novel inspired Steven Soderberg's film "Solaris", which starred George Clooney and Natasha McElhone) Teatr Biuro Podróży's "Planet Lem" is the first theatrical adaptation inspired by Stanisław Lem's works. It is based on characters and themes from the whole of the writer's oeuvre.
"Planet Lem" is a visionary out-door production, employing a spectacular moving set-design and multimedia projections. Humans of the future are idle and passive, and the meaning of their existence is reduced to the intake of hallucinogen doses. An illusory state of well-being of the Mucillid men and women is ensured by artificial intelligence.
Paweł Szkotak, the director of Planet Lem:
Lem's genius lies in his capacity of not only predicting technological advancements, but also in the ability to show the impact these advancements will have on mankind. Our humanoid descendant will not only look different, but will also have different family and social bonds. (...) A longing for the sacred, a fantastic decorum and the dream of a better world make science fiction a contemporary 'sanctuary' of commonly understood romatic ideals. "Planet Lem" is an Earth of the future which has become a fake paradise, and a form of dystopia. It is inhabited by Mucillids, humans of the future. Ijon Tichy, our contemporary sets out to meet them. What will be the outcome of their encounter?(...)
Co-produced by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Teatr Biuro Podróży's showings take place in Brussels, Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Kiev, and Beijing
Date: 21st of September, 2011
Venue: CDH (Central House of Artists) courtyard, Moscow
Organised by: CDH (Central House of Artists), Adam Mickiewicz Institute
Planet Lem is a Flagship Project of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency. For more information on the project, as well as performance trailers, see: Planet Lem
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute
"Planeta Lem" - Moskwa | Moscow from Culture.pl on Vimeo.