Ecstatic, convulsing bodies – »St. Vitus’ dance«, a phenomenon dating back to the Middle Ages when people danced publicly to the point of collapse, is revived in 1988 by 13 men and women in Erfurt. Their bodies suggest that anyone can claim public spaces and move as freely and as defiantly as they wish. In the drab East German setting, Gabriele Stötzer carves out her own space, drawing on pagan traditions and invoking matriarchal origins. Her inspiration is resistance. »This film, made in the GDR – the land of socialist dictatorship – is an expression of the freedom inherent in us all, when we chose to claim it,« Stötzer explains.

To give the work maximum freedom, we project it in a public space with Cologne cathedral as the backdrop, creating an associative space that links the witch persecutions of the Middle Ages with the anarchic wildness Gabriele Stötzer evokes 300 years later in St. Vitus’ dance.

The dance – with Gabriele Stötzer in attendance – is accompanied live by drummer Sara Neidorf, a versatile musician who blends genres, weaves seamless transitions, and loves interdisciplinary collaborations. They are a Berlin-based, Philly-native drummer who has co-founded a plethora of bands such as Mellowdeath and Sarattma. Alongside numerous bands of their own, they perform as a session musician for rock, metal, progressive and pop acts, and accompany theatre and dance productions on the drums. They are also co-founder and co-director of the queer-feminist horror film festival Final Girls Berlin.

Guest: Gabriele Stötzer