ONLY A FREE INDIVIDUAL CAN CREATE A FREE SOCIETY

by

Grace Schwindt

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Notes: This is a feature length, moving image work to be filmed entirely at night on a stage set that is situated at an outdoor location.

The set is a ‘room’ initially situated in a park, with London visible in the distance. The fourth wall of the set is always missing and allows the camera to be placed far enough away from the set to be able to achieve stage-left wall to stage-right wall WIDE SHOTS. Therefore, whenever the position of the absent fourth wall comes in to SHOT, the viewer will see the park where the set is located, fading in to black after about 2 meters. Notes for the performers: The choreography of this piece is without music but is set to a 4/4 beat. There are four main styles of walking; slow pace is 1 step every 4 beats, medium pace is 1 step every 2 beats, fast pace is stepping on the beat and natural pace is the performer walking just as they naturally/ordinarily would. For the sake of expedience these different paces of walking will just be referred to as fast pace, medium pace, slow pace or natural pace throughout the script. Also, where more complicated choreography than walking is described as medium pace it simply means that each movement falls on the second beat, and so on. The cast changes for each of the 5 scenes so a cast list and description of each costume are at the start of every one. Each performer will play more than one role.

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SCENE 1 Female 1 - Vertically, black and white striped,

short legged jumpsuit covering the hands. Female 2 - Light grey jumpsuit covering the

feet and hands. Male 1 - Dark grey jumpsuit with a hood. Male 2 - Medium grey jumpsuit covering

the feet. The maximum number of performers on stage at any one time is 4. NIGHT The stage set is situated in a park, with London visible in the distance. It is made of cardboard. The back wall is orange and 6 metres wide and contains a window left of centre with a view on to London. The stage-right wall is white and 5 metres wide. The stage-left wall is orange and 5 metres wide. Through fourth wall the park is dark and fades in to black. The floor is painted light grey and raked. A white cow-skin rug lies in the centre. A houseplant stands centre-stage left. Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. FEMALE 2 and MALE 1 sit casually against the stage-right wall, centre-stage. Male 1 is closest to camera and holds a glass of water. MALE 2 sits casually on the floor, down-centre, facing up-stage right. FEMALE 1 stands near the window, she is still and tense. Her shadow is painted on to the floor and on to the back wall in horizontal, black and white stripes, contrasting with the vertical stripes of her costume. Female 2, Male 1 and Male 2 move their upper bodies to the 4/4 beat - They pulse their upper bodies forward 4 times; dip their right shoulders to the right 4 times; repeat forward; repeat to the right; repeat forward; dip their left shoulders to the left 4 times; they repeat and continue repeating all fast pace. Male 1’s water does not spill. In this scene Female 1 speaks the lines of an interviewer. The other 3 performers share the lines of an interviewee, sometimes speaking simultaneously sometimes alternately. Whenever any of the 3 is speaking they stop their upper body movements for the duration then re-join the sequence from whichever point the other performers are at.

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FEMALE 1

Can we go through your replies?

MALE 1, MALE 2, FEMALE 2

Was it difficult to read my handwriting?

FEMALE 1 No.

MALE 1, MALE 2, FEMALE 2

OK, I’m driving the taxi at the moment but we can talk for a bit. I’m driving back to the city, it’ll be a while before I reach civilisation.

FEMALE 1 Thank you that’s great. So your initial reply to my request to do an interview on freedom was that you felt the “challenge will be to stay rooted in reality whilst discussing such an abstract notion.”

MALE 1, MALE 2 Well, yes.

FEMALE 1 My first question was: “Please describe what social changes the radical leftwing movement growing in Frankfurt and Berlin in the 60s and 70s was fighting for.” You answered: “The movement was striving to overthrow the government and proclaim a communist council republic. The activists adopted ideals from Liebknecht and Luxemburg’s revolutionary attempt in the early 1900s as well as from Maoism and a transfiguration of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro’s principles.” I wanted to ask what you meant by transfiguration?

MALE 1, FEMALE 2

Well, there were many groups, but the SDS - the Socialist German Student Union, who headed the APO - Outer Parliamentary Opposition, initiated the whole thing and

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they based themselves on certain people, who were simply taken up as idols. You can’t compare the situation in Germany in ‘68 to the situation..., not even to circumstances in Germany in Liebknecht’s time and certainly not to circumstances in South America, where farmers were enslaved by landowners. Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, mainly Che Guevara, fought against those landowners. In Germany the left-wing movement treated Che Guevara and Fidel Castro like leaders: A simple glorification. Another idol was Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Viet Cong. Activists in Germany did things like read the newspaper ‘Peking Rundschau’, can you imagine? You can’t compare Chinese circumstances to post-war Germany. But of course, there were people who knew, for example Dutschke, that you can’t compare different circumstances in such a direct way. That became a never-ending discussion. “Transfiguration”, clear or not?

FEMALE 1 Yes, clear. So how did the APO intend to establish a communist council republic?

MALE 1, MALE 2 They believed changing the wider consciousness was the first step and the precondition for changing the political system. One practical attempt at this was to try to mobilise workers who they saw as an oppressed group under capitalism, an exploited group. But the APO’s ideas were formulated within student circles, elite circles and when they went into factories distributing their flyers with slogans about freeing the proletariat, the workers saw them as nutcases. A working class no longer existed as it had before,

Camera TRACKS forwards to a TIGHTENING SHOT of Female 1.

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MALE 1, MALE 2 (continuing)

everything changed because of the war, reconstruction was a necessity and everybody worked together to remove the debris, so people showed more solidarity and then affluence was worked for, together. Through that a large middle class evolved. The German worker was able to build a house, buy a car, go on holiday,

Just as the camera is closing in to be filming Female 1 in a TIGHT MEDIUM SHOT, CUT to camera shooting from down-centre in a WIDE SHOT. The entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so London is seen in the background. Camera immediately begins TRACKING forwards again.

MALE 1, MALE 2

(continuing) they saw communism as obstructive. They said that the APO should go over to East Germany. The unions had a much better relationship with the workers than the APO did.

Camera has TRACKED to a LOOSE MEDIUM SHOT of Female 1. It swings upwards to directly film the sky. CUT to camera shooting from down-centre in a WIDE SHOT. Camera immediately begins TRACKING forwards again.

FEMALE 1 And what was the relationship between the APO and the unions?

MALE 2, FEMALE 2 Everyone was grateful for any support, when the APO and the unions demonstrated they marched together, though they had very different aims.

Camera TRACKS forwards and the shot TIGHTENS, Male 1 is now at the edge of the frame. Male 1 stands and moves gradually in a slight, anticlockwise curve towards Female 1. His steps follow a sequence that is an extension of his upper body movements: As he pulses his upper body forward he rocks on to his right foot, toe first, for 2

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counts, then on the 3rd count he puts his weight on his right foot letting his left leg extend behind and on the 4th count brings his left leg in to stand, feet together. As he dips his shoulder to the right he rocks on to his right foot, sideways, toe first, for 2 counts, then on the 3rd count he puts his weight on his right foot letting his left leg extend out to the side and on the 4th count brings his left leg in to stand, feet together. And so on but doing the sideways section of the sequence on his left foot when dipping his left shoulder. Camera continues TRACKING forwards. Once he is about 2 metres from Female 1, Male 1 stops and throws the water from his glass into her face. Camera stops with Male 1. Male 1 and Female 1 are now in a MEDIUM TWO SHOT. Everything is frozen for about 5 seconds. Glitter, of various colours and silver, mainly red falls from above, OFF CAMERA and covers the entire floor. Male 1 suddenly flips his head back. Simultaneously the camera begins TRACKING backwards until it is shooting from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so the view on to London is exposed. Hold the SHOT for 5 seconds.

CUT TO BLACK:

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SCENE 2 Male 3 - Black jumpsuit with 5 opaque, light

silver, helium balloons attached to different points on the body.

Male 4 - Pink and red striped jumpsuit with 5 opaque, light silver, helium balloons attached to different points on the body.

Male 5 - Black jumpsuit with 5 opaque, light silver, helium balloons attached to different points on the body.

Male 6 - Olive green jumpsuit with 5 opaque, light silver, helium balloons attached to different points on the body.

Male 7 - Created from 2 performers, one sits on the other’s shoulders, Male 7a and Male 7b

- Black, business suit, black shoes and a white shirt. The trouser pockets hang inside out, outside the trousers.

Female 3 - Black jumpsuit with 5 opaque, light silver, helium balloons attached to different points on the body.

Female 4 - Body painted gold apart from the left leg and foot. Ribbons hang from the arms and the head, to the floor, in a variety of colours but predominantly blue.

Female 5 - Floor length dress with a large skirt supported by rings so it forms a perfectly even circle that measures about a 1.5 metre radius from the waist to the edge of the dress. The dress is decorated with reflective panels. On the inside of the skirt is gold, black and white embroidery.

Female 6 - Body is painted gold. Ribbons hang from the arms and the head, to the

floor, in a variety of colours but predominantly blue. A purple shadow of the performer is fixed to the back of an ankle.

Male Helper 1 - Black, long-sleeved top and tight, black trousers.

Female Helper 1 - Black, long-sleeved top and tight, black trousers.

The maximum number of performers on stage at any one time is 7.

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NIGHT The stage set is in the same location as the previous scene. It is made of cardboard. The back wall is white and 12 metres wide. The stage-right wall is a photographic image of a view on to London that is just slightly different to the view that can be seen through the window in the stage-left wall. It is 9 metres wide. The stage-left wall is white and 9 metres wide and contains a window, right of centre, with a view on to a different part of London as can be seen through the window in scene 1, a more residential part. Through the fourth wall the park is dark and fades in to black. The floor is of light brown floorboards and raked. Up-stage left is a freestanding, white, paper, spiral staircase. Down-stage right, parallel with the stage-right wall, is a dark grey, 1.5 metre length, steel bar held across 2 dark grey, steel vertical bars of about 1.2 metres in height. Camera shoots from down-stage right-centre. LONG SHOT of Female 4, but other performers also ‘happen’ to be in the SHOT. FEMALE 4 stands up-stage right-centre in a classical ballet pose, facing down-stage. MALE 3 and MALE 4 stand centre-stage right. Male 3 is closest to the stage-right wall, almost facing it but is angled slightly to his right. Male 4 stands so close to Male 3 they’re almost touching. Male 4 almost faces the back wall but is angled slightly to his left. MALE 5 stands down-centre facing down-stage. FEMALE 3 stands centre-stage left-centre facing the stage-left wall. MALE 6 lies on his front, 1 metre from the stage-left wall with his head being closest to it and 6 metres from the back wall. Two of the balloons attached to the front of his costume are deflated because of him lying on them. Male 3, Male 4, Male 5, Male 6 and Female 3 shake their shoulders back and forth on the 4/4 beat, letting their bodies move a little with the slight motion. This movement is continual and only stops when the performers exit the space. In this scene Female 4 speaks the lines of an interviewer and of an interviewee, in the continuing dialogue. Then as the scene progresses, other performers will continue to speak the lines of the interview.

FEMALE 4

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What was the relationship between the APO and the Red Army Faction?

As the next section of dialogue begins Female 4 moves in to a new, classical ballet pose that is a sitting pose this time. Through the movement the ribbons expose her face.

FEMALE 4 The RAF came out of the APO. The RAF believed in an absolutely radical interpretation of the basic ideas of socialism, that everything belongs to everybody - which means anarchy. They believed in anarchy as an ideology and as a political system, in fact without one.

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) My understanding is that the APO distanced themselves from the RAF after...

As the next section of dialogue begins Female 4 moves in to a new, classical ballet pose that is a standing pose this time. Once she has arrived at her position she speaks simultaneously with the voiceover.

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) Yes. The communist theories the APO believed in contradicted the methods of the RAF. The RAF put pressure on individuals, killed them, blackmailed them, tried to unsettle the state. The APO believed individuals are replaceable. That you can’t change the system by killing individuals - kidnap a president and then the state is communist - that’s how it could be done previously but it doesn’t work like that under capitalism. The APO believed that in a capitalist system the consciousness of the people has to be changed in order to establish a free, socialist state. “Free” in their sense. The RAF argued that you can’t discuss forever you have to act, oppress the oppressors, kill the criminals. “Criminals” in their sense - those who commit crimes against humanity, who are symbols of the enslavement of people, the

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bank guy or the business leader. They actually killed those people. Your questions, our discussion, relate very specifically to the APO and the RAF but the consciousness that evolved in the 60s and which influences the present was a result of many movements’ activism: The emancipation movement, the sexual movement, the peace movement - groups that didn’t strive for a coup but aimed for a political sensitization of the people, aimed to inform them of the deplorable state of affairs.

Female 4 adopts a new, classical ballet pose, lying this time.

FEMALE 4 You mention an influence on the present; would you say that means the movements were successful?

Female 4 adopts a new, classical ballet pose, sitting this time.

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) I would say they changed society. They provoked people to confront their political circumstances, to examine them, to question conventions. Activists in the 60s were already debating whether such questioning by a wider public could be regarded as success. The more radical, who aimed for a revolution, did not think so. They wanted fundamental change. For others, it was about expanding one’s own consciousness. Existing authoritarian structures, parental homes and so on were altered slightly. If you look at it that way you could say the movements were successful. Today even the Christian Democratic Party talks about issues like environmental preservation. That issue was allotted to the leftwing corner in the 60s and 70s, but today, everybody takes up the cause.

As the next section of dialogue begins Female 4 moves in to a new, classical ballet pose that is a standing pose this time.

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FEMALE 4, FEMALE 4 (V.O.)

You also wrote the radical groups used action taken by the peace movement for their own ends.

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) Did I write that?

Female 4 moves one leg in to a new position.

FEMALE 4 Yes.

Female 4 Chaines on the spot. She stops on the last word of the sentence below (“activism”).

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) You wrote they took advantage of their activism.

Camera TRACKS forwards to a TIGHTENING SHOT of Female 4. Female 4 adopts a new, classical ballet pose that is a sitting pose this time. Camera continues TRACKING forwards until Male 3 and Male 4 are at the edge of the frame. As they are about to be passed by and so be out of SHOT, the camera PANS stage-right, still TRACKING, keeping them in the frame for a while longer. But then the camera continues its anticlockwise ROTATION until it is filming the stage-left wall. The ROTATION stops. Without pausing the camera begins re-tracing the path it has just TRACKED along, going in the opposite direction. But because it is now filming the stage-left wall, it is now TRACKING sideways.

FEMALE 4 (V.O.) Yes, some individuals radicalised demonstrations. Action taken by most groups was peaceful. For example at May demonstrations, there were so many different groups - the unions giving speeches, pacifist groups demonstrating against the Vietnam War, or that and the other. Radical individuals joined the demonstrations then attacked the police, who then fought back without differentiating.

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The camera, still TRACKING sideways so filming the stage-left wall, arrives back at its starting point.

CUT TO BLACK: Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so the surrounding grass is exposed. The performers are all in the same spot but have turned the following way: Male 3 and Male 4 have turned 90 degrees anticlockwise, Female 4 has turned 45 degrees anticlockwise, Female 3 has turned 90 degrees clockwise, Male 5 has turned 90 degree anticlockwise. The staircase has become a freestanding, abstract, paper shape in various shades of glossy and matt orange with glossy black. Hold the SHOT for 60 seconds.

CUT TO BLACK: Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The performers have returned to the previous positions they were standing in when the staircase was there. Now the staircase is even further abstracted and is black. It now has contact with the stage-left wall. FEMALE 5 enters from OFF CAMERA, stage-left, walking backwards, slow pace, in a straight line parallel to and 6 metres from the back wall. The whole of Female 5 fits in the frame. JIB SHOT and TILT as the camera slowly rises to a HIGH-ANGLE SHOT of Female 5. Once she has crossed in front of Female 4, Female 5 goes into a handstand causing the skirt of her dress to fall inside out. The supporting rings in the dress hold the inside of the skirt in a perfectly even circle, measuring a 1.5 metre radius from Female 5’s waist to the edge of her dress. The circle the dress is CENTRE FRAME, with its shortest distance from the frame’s edge being at most 1 metre. Female 4 walks a brisk, natural pace over to Female 5. She has to step on the dress to reach her. She holds her up by her legs

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for 20 seconds. Then Female 4 lays Female 5 on to her front on the floor, so that Female 5 is lying on top of her dress from her hips downwards with her upper body, including her head, underneath it. The dress retains its circular shape throughout. FEMALE 4 steps to the edge of the dress on the side closer to the stage-left wall and lies with her body following the circular shape of the dress. She holds her position for 30 seconds. Female 4 rises and walks up-stage, natural pace but slower, more deliberately than before. Camera lowers to a FOLLOW SHOT of Female 4 (TIGHT enough that the black, abstract form up-stage left is not in SHOT). Male 5 follows Female 4, walking the same, deliberate pace she does. The balloons on his costume have deflated. FOLLOW SHOT to a TWO SHOT of Female 4 and Male 5. Camera stays with them as they lower themselves, deliberately, to sit, up-centre. Camera TRACKS back to a WIDE SHOT. It is revealed that the black, abstract form that previously replaced the staircase has disappeared. Where the form was in contact with the stage-left wall there is now a paper waterfall into a paper river with photographic images of crocodiles ‘swimming’ in it. The ‘river’ extends for about 8 metres along the floor, running diagonally through the space. Female 4 and Male 5 ‘dangle their feet in the water’. After a while they speak to each other. They speak the lines of an interviewer and of an interviewee, in the continuing interview.

FEMALE 4 My next question was: “I understand the notion of “freedom” played an important role in the fight for social change. Can you describe how a free society was defined?” You answered: “The word “freedom” was used in the discourse on how to prevent any continuation of fascism, which capitalism was regarded as - a continuation of hierarchical, oppressive structures. The belief was that freedom from oppression and with that, a free society, could be achieved through replacing capitalism with a

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socialist system.” I wanted to ask you how the different activists believed freedom would manifest in a socialist system?

MALE 5 There was much discussion. There was this headline, a kind of starting point - how do you change consciousness or...the material? How did it go again? Oh yes: Does freedom start in the material or in the mind? Some said you first need to create free consciousness then free existence will follow, others argued the other way round. For example - existence is: I hold a stone then build a house. Wait, a tunnel is coming up, I’ll call you back if I lose signal. So, my consciousness tells me that this stone will become part of a house. Do I need to build a free place first in order to become a free person, or do I first need to be free in order to build a free place? The question is: Does existence determine consciousness or the other way around? The communist idea after Marx’ is that you need to create free forms in order to create free consciousness. That means that a free mind can only evolve after existence has been freed. FEMALE 4 So what do you think? MALE 5 How shall people, who are not free, create freedom? For us it was an imperative to examine this, we were that second generation after the war. We also considered academic theories to find answers and ask questions, for example Adorno, Mitschenich, the Frankfurt school in general, many others. So how shall people who are not free, create freedom? It’s actually a rotating thought. I think that consciousness and

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existence need to develop simultaneously into a free state of being. I don’t think it would have happened that had a communist council republic in Germany in the 70s been proclaimed that people would automatically have been free. But the Baader Meinhof Gang, who later became the Red Army Faction, believed we could only create a free society through changing material existence first. They worked to unsettle the current government by spreading fear.

Female 4 fishes a sentence out of the ‘water’. The sentence is made of cardboard. She holds it out for Male 5 to read aloud:

MALE 5 (continuing) The question, however, is whether that strategy was the right way to gain the support of the masses,

Female 4 stands and hangs the sentence on the back wall. Male 5 continues talking as she does this. Female 4 sits next to Male 5 again.

MALE 5 (continuing) which is what you need to establish a new system, if you’re not fighting against an army of oppressors. It wasn’t the right way, they scared people off. The government had an easy job of declaring them “terrorists”. Before then the word “terrorism” was used differently, their actions influenced today’s definition of the word. But they weren’t alone. They modelled themselves on the ETA and trained in Jordan with the PLO. That came out later, along with their contact to the SED. People didn’t think that East Germany financed them but it turned out they had support from Hoenecker.

On the last word of the dialogue (“Hoenecker”) the camera begins a very slow ROTATION anticlockwise, on a spot, until it completes a full 360 degrees. The next ROTATIONS flow on from the 1st at the same pace without a pause.

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On the camera’s second ROTATION, when Male 3 and Male 4 come in to SHOT that is their cue to walk, natural pace, anticlockwise until they are OFF CAMERA. When the camera has completed its 2nd ROTATION and is filming the back wall, Male 5 has disappeared. When the camera completes its 3rd ROTATION and is filming the back wall again, that is Male 6’s, (currently out of SHOT,) cue to walk, natural pace, over to Female 5, put her on his back and exits down-stage right. They move slowly and come in to SHOT twice over the next, 2 ROTATIONS before they are permanently OFF CAMERA. The camera continues ROTATING and simultaneously begins TRACKING down-stage. It completes a full 360 degrees. On the camera’s 7th anticlockwise ROTATION, still TRACKING, when up-stage left comes in to SHOT that is Female 3’s, (currently out of SHOT,) cue to stand, walk natural pace towards the camera then pass it and exits down-stage right. During the camera’s 8th anticlockwise ROTATION, still TRACKING, MALE HELPER 1 and FEMALE HELPER 1 enter down-stage left. The Helpers carry a white, cardboard table. On the table are pieces of broken, breeze block with protruding, metal rods. Also on the table and around the Helpers’ feet are black, mechanical, walking birds. Female 4 exits down-stage right, walking natural pace. The Helpers place the table in the centre. Camera stops ROTATING the moment the table goes down and is shooting from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The Helpers exit down-stage right, walking natural pace. The table, breeze blocks, birds, ‘waterfall and river’ and the steel rail are the only things remaining in the space. The only movement comes from the mechanical birds. After 2 minutes FEMALE 6 enters down-stage right. She sits amongst the mechanical birds and arranges her purple, fabric shadow.

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After 1 Minute MALE 7 enters down-stage left. Although he is exceptionally tall, (being one man on the other’s shoulders in a suit that makes it appear as if he is just one man,) he is entirely in SHOT. He walks slow pace. His height makes him feel unstable - he gives the impression of carrying a great deal of tension in his body in order to maintain his upright posture. In a straight line, he heads directly to the steel rail. He leans on the rail and breaks in two.

CUT TO BLACK:

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SCENE 3 Female 7 - Flesh colour jumpsuit with folded, paper

semi-circle attached to its back along the length of its arms and the back of the performer’s head, that reaches down to the performer’s ankles. The paper is a variety of shades of green with white and the folds allow it to open and close when the performer raises and lowers her arms.

Female 8 - White jumpsuit with folded, paper semi-circle attached to its back along the length of its arms and the back of the performer’s head, that reaches down to the performer’s ankles. The paper is white and the folds allow it to open and close when the performer raises and lowers her arms.

Female Helper 2 - Light grey, long sleeved top and black trousers.

Female Helper 3 - Black, long sleeved top and dark grey trousers.

Male Helper 2 - Dark grey, long sleeved top and beige trousers.

Male Helper 3 - Dark blue, long sleeved top and dark grey trousers.

Male Helper 4 - Dark red, long sleeved top and dark grey trousers.

Male Helper 5 - Light grey, long sleeved top and light grey trousers.

Female Helper 4 - Black, long-sleeved top and tight, black trousers.

Male Helper 6 - Black, long-sleeved top and tight, black trousers.

Horse 1 - Created from 2 performers, Horse 1a and Horse 1b - Horse costume is made from different coloured fabrics. The legs of the horse costume are missing. The performers have bare legs and feet, so the horse has human legs.

Horse 2 - Created from 2 performers, Horse 2a and Horse 2b - Horse costume is made from different coloured fabrics. The legs of the horse costume are missing. The performers have bare legs and feet, so the horse has human legs.

The maximum number of performers on stage at any one time is 12, (6 dancer-performers and 6 helpers.)

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NIGHT The stage set is in the same location as the previous scene. The set is made of cardboard. The back wall of the set is a photographic image of an indoor, beige wall containing a front door left of centre. The back wall is 12 metres wide. The stage-right wall is painted the same beige colour as the beige in the photographic image on the back wall. The stage-left wall is white. The side walls are 9 metres wide. The floor is of short, neatly cut grass that has been painted white. The floor is raked. A tree stands up-stage right. White, cardboard text hangs on the stage-left wall. It is text from the dialogue: YOU STATED YOU TURNED AWAY FROM POLITICAL GROUPS BECAUSE YOU BELIEVED THAT ONLY A FREE INDIVIDUAL CAN CREATE A FREE SOCIETY Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. In this scene male and female voiceovers speak the lines of an interviewer and of an interviewee, in the continuing dialogue.

FEMALE (V.O.)

You stated you turned away from political groups because you believed that “only a free individual can create a free society.” You felt the activists themselves were not free and that the groups were hierarchical and therefore could never bring about a free society.

During the following voiceover FEMALE 7 enters down-stage right and walks medium pace, in a diagonal line to the centre, where she stands facing the back wall.

MALE (V.O.) I was referring to people in the APO, they were several leaders who marched at the head whilst everyone else was infantry and some of them were real assholes, power obsessed.

Female 7 spreads her arms out straight and holds their position at 90 degrees to her body. The paper attached to her costume spreads open with her.

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MALE (V.O.) (continuing) They already guaranteed their positions in the new society to come, the one they were trying to create. They saw themselves as creators, as right at the top of a hierarchy.

Female 7 remains in the pose for a further 10 seconds then turns to face the stage-right wall, simultaneously bringing her arms to her sides. She spreads her arms 45 degrees then brings them down again. She turns to face down-stage, pauses, spreads her arms open, also only to 45 degrees from her body, puts her right foot forward, then turns to the stage-left wall whilst simultaneously bringing her arms to her sides. As she turns she brings her left foot back in to her right foot, to feet together. She waits. Then spreads her arms to 45 degrees. She walks backwards, slow pace. Camera TRACKS stage-right with Female 7. FULL SHOT. FEMALE HELPER 4 and MALE HELPER 6 enter down-stage right, walking natural pace. They carry a 7.5 metre wide, white, cardboard wall, which they hold parallel to the stage-right and stage-left walls of the main set. The Helpers graduate to the centre, keeping the new wall parallel with the stage-right and stage-left walls. When they have almost reached the centre, Female 7, still walking backwards, hits the wall but the 2 Helpers, without a pause, keep pushing forward. Female 7 is forced to walk forwards. Camera now TRACKS stage-left with the group. Camera stops. The Helpers place the new wall down 1.5 metres from the back wall, still parallel with the stage-left wall and approximately 1.5 metres away from it. So that they have created a corridor. Female 7 is left inside the corridor. SHOT of the corridor. The camera shoots from down-stage left, exposing a view on to London behind the stage-left wall. Female 7 is left standing with her back against the new wall, still with her arms spread to 45 degrees from her body. Faint TALKING can be heard. It is not discernible whether the TALKING is some alien, unrecognisable language or whether its volume is just so soft that no words can be made out.

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Female 7 waits then brings her arms to her sides, then turns to her left to face up-stage. After 10 seconds, FEMALE 8 enters the corridor up-stage left and walks, natural pace, towards Female 7 whilst Female 7 moves natural pace towards her. JIB SHOT and TILT as the camera rises to a HIGH-ANGLE SHOT of Female 8 and Female 7 from which position the camera TRACKS towards them. Half way along the new wall is an opening. Female 8 reaches it before Female 7 and walks through it, (in to the main space). Female 7 follows. Camera lowers to a FOLLOW SHOT of Female 7 then stops in the opening in the new wall, from where it films the space. WIDE SHOT. MALE HELPER 2, MALE HELPER 3, MALE HELPER 4 and MALE HELPER 5 and FEMALE HELPER 2 and FEMALE HELPER 3 are sitting in a circle on the floor, in the main space, up-stage left-centre. They are TALKING. It is from them that the spoken, possibly alien language is emanating. They SPEAK continually. Other than that they are still. Female 8 is standing near the tree. Female 7, following after Female 8, pauses near the opening of the new corridor wall. After 5 seconds the voiceover is heard:

FEMALE (V.O.) Did you confront these “leaders”?

MALE (V.O.)

I made my points

During the continuing voiceover Female 7 walks at a slow, natural pace down-centre and stops 3 metres from the fourth wall facing the back wall. Her route describes a slight, clockwise curve. FOLLOW SHOT of Female 7 until the Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so London is seen in the background.

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MALE (V.O.) (continuing) but I don’t remember any discussion. The RAF was actually much more self-critical than the APO. In fact, they questioned the APO for the same reasons I did. The RAF was less about leaders, they were more equal and they didn’t push people to consent to their approach or be part of their group.

During the continuing voiceover Female 7 raises her arms to 90 degrees from her body but does this in 3 steps - at each step, she pulses her arms 4 times.

MALE (V.O.) (continuing)

But I had a problem with their use of violence. I don’t believe violence can create a society without leadership. The reality is if you eliminate the individuals in power, they will immediately be replaced, the hierarchy will be maintained. I also don’t believe one has the right to kill people, for any reason.

Female 7 waits for 3 seconds then walks forward medium pace. Female 8 walks fast pace to stand facing Female 7 and so prevents her from going any further. Then Female 8 spreads her arms too. They rotate in an anticlockwise circle whilst facing each other. The camera CIRCLES around them clockwise. At the point where Female 7 and the camera are both facing the back wall, Female 7 and Female 8 and the camera all pause. Female 8 walks natural pace over to the tree and stands centre-stage right facing the stage-right wall. Female 7 walks medium pace forwards, past the group that is sitting on the floor. Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. Female 7 pauses once she has passed the group then turns to her left to face the stage-right wall. She leans her upper body forward until she touches the floor with her finger tips. She holds for 5 seconds. Then she raises her upper body and walks,

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natural pace, over to Female 8. When Female 7 reaches Female 8, they both bend their upper bodies to parallel, keeping their arms at their sides, Female 7 is slightly leant over Female 8’s back. They walk backwards in step, in a straight line, parallel with the back wall, taking small steps. When they reach the centre they straighten. Bending their left leg they each slide their right foot to point it in front, keeping their toe in contact with the ground they draw a semi-circle until their right leg is extended behind, still with the right toe pointed and in contact with the ground. Then straightening their left leg they each raise their right leg behind, with the right knee bent and foot pointed. Arms stay by their sides throughout. They each twist to face the back wall but leave their right leg stationary in the air, leaving it out to the side. They bring their right leg in to feet together. Female 7 walks forward medium pace past the group that is sitting on the floor. Simultaneously Female 8 turns and walks natural pace to the stage-right wall where she stops about 2 metres away from and facing it. Female 7 halts when she reaches the back wall at which point Female 8 sharply bends her upper body and touches the floor with her finger tips.

CUT TO BLACK: Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. Female 7 is in the foreground again, standing down-centre. She is facing the back wall. Female 8 stands nearside of the tree, diagonally facing in to the back wall, slightly turned to her left. Female 7 walks forward medium pace. FOLLOW SHOT of Female 7. When Female 7 is only part way past the group that is sitting on the floor, in one fluid movement she sharply turns to her left, takes a couple of quick steps and neatly throws herself on to her stomach with her arms by her sides.

CUT TO BLACK: Camera shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. Female 7 is in the foreground again, standing down-centre. She is facing the back wall. Female 8 is lying on the floor, near the spot where Female 7 just lay in the previous shot, but about 1 metre closer to the fourth wall and diagonally so that she is

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facing up-stage left. Female 7 walks medium pace to the back wall. FOLLOW SHOT of Female 7. Female 7 pauses when she has just passed the group that is sitting on the floor then she continues to the back wall where she stops. Camera stops simultaneously with Female 7.

CUT TO BLACK: Female 7 is in the foreground again, standing down-centre. She is facing the back wall. Female 8 is standing near the tree about 4.5 metres from the back wall, facing the stage-left wall, (this position is about 50cm forward of the person from the group that is sitting on the floor furthest down-stage.) Female 7 walks medium pace past the group then circles around them clockwise still medium pace. FOLLOW SHOT of Female 7 to the back wall. Camera then ROTATES (on the spot) clockwise and PANS after Female 7 as she circles the group that is sitting on the floor. When Female 7 is almost at the person in the circle that is furthest down-stage, Female 8 quickly walks over natural pace. At the point when Female 7 is parallel with that person in the circle that is furthest down-stage, Female 8 is standing facing her. Without a pause, Female 7 walks forwards and Female 8 walks backwards, medium pace, until they reach the centre where they stand facing each other. Camera PANS with them. Female 7 and Female 8 spread their arms out straight to 90 degrees from their bodies and mirroring each other, sway their upper bodies from side to side so their outstretched hands alternately dip towards the floor a little. They each keep their head in line with their body. The sway becomes bigger then returns to smaller movements. They sway on the 4/4 beat, medium pace. After 30 seconds the camera slowly TRACKS closer to the pair and CIRCLES them anticlockwise. Once the camera is filming towards the fourth wall, it TRACKS back a little for a WIDER SHOT.

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The performers point their left feet diagonally, grip each other’s forearms and lean back, taking each other’s weight. They let go, turn outwards and ‘fall’ forwards on to the ground. The entire bodies of the performers are in frame. Pause, (performers and camera stop.) From their lying positions the performers begin a classical ballet duet that contrasts in feel and pace to the rigorously structured movements in the preceding shots. (The duet to be choreographed during rehearsal drawing on improvisation from the performers.) Camera FOLLOWS the performers, always keeping them both in SHOT, but never shooting from down-stage. At the point the duet concludes the camera is shooting from centre-stage left. WIDE SHOT. Female 8 has her right knee raised in front with the foot pointed. From this stance she goes in to a short lunge. At that moment Female 7 forms a position like she has been doing push-ups on one arm - she is on her front, with her weight only on her toes and on her right hand, which is directly beneath her shoulder and with her right arm held straight. Her body is rigid and in a straight, diagonal line from her head to her heels. Her left arm is by her side. The hand with her weight on is right by Female 8’s foot. The performers’ final positions are reached simultaneously. Female 7 stands. The performers Chaines in opposing directions. After 5 seconds the camera TRACKS, anti-clockwise until it is shooting in a WIDE SHOT from down-stage. The entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so London is seen in the background. The pair stops. Female 7 is standing centre-stage right-centre, facing down-stage. She places her right foot slightly forward, loosely on the ball and she raises and lowers it keeping the foot relaxed. She is marking a beat. Her body is angled slightly forward. Her right hand sits, just above her knee, on its side with her palm turned inwards. As with her foot, her hand is relaxed. When her foot comes up her right hand draws up her thigh a little and when her foot rests on its ball again her hand draws back down the thigh. That she is marking a rhythm is clear. She marks the same 4/4 beat (fast pace) that is the base

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rhythm of the entire piece. Female 8, slightly behind Female 7, dances to the beat Female 7 marks using classical ballet. (The solo to be choreographed during rehearsal drawing on improvisation from the performer.) As her right leg is raised, Female 7 steps back on to it and continues walking backwards, medium pace towards the back wall. As she comes parallel with Female 8, Female 8 begins walking in rhythm with her but facing forwards, heading to the back wall. Once at the back wall - Female 8 stops and stands still where she is, facing the back wall, whilst Female 7, without pausing, walks forward in to the space again natural pace. When Female 7 reached centre-stage right the two performers turn, simultaneously, to face each other and walk towards one another, on the diagonal, fast pace. As the performers walk towards each other the camera TRACKS forwards for a tighter TWO SHOT, from where it CIRCLES the performers clockwise then TRACKS back until it is shooting from up-centre. WIDE SHOT. When the performers’ chests touch they step back and out so that they are standing with their backs parallel to the stage-right and stage-left walls. Suddenly, Female 7 flips her head back. Then Female 8 falls backwards, turns and lands on the ground with her weight on her toes and her hands. She has her arms out straight beneath her shoulders and her body forms a straight line from head to heel. Female 7 raises her left knee with the foot pointed, on the 4/4 beat. On the first knee-raise her head snaps back up. On the fourth knee-raise she holds her knee in the air for 2 beats replaces her foot to feet together on the 7th beat and does one final knee-raise on the 8th beat which finishes with her foot replaced on the ground, feet together. In one sudden movement Female 8 lies flat on the floor with her arms spread. Pause. Female 8 starts to dance with her hands and feet whilst lying on the floor. Female 7 starts imitating her, marking Female 8’s movements with small dance movements of her own. Both stop moving.

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Pause. Both performers rapidly flutter their hands. With her hands still fluttering Female 8 raises on to her knees then stands. Both performers are now standing, facing the stage-left wall, their hands fluttering with their arms spread out. Stepping to her left, Female 8 turns a slow, full circle, moving diagonally across the room, that ends with her by the stage-right wall, facing down-stage. Stepping to her right, Female 7 turns a slow, circle moving diagonally across the room that ends with her by the stage-right wall facing up-stage. As the performers start turning the camera TRACKS forwards and CIRCLES them anti-clockwise, then TRACKS back until it is shooting from up-centre. WIDE SHOT. Camera is now LOCKED OFF until the end of the scene. Female 7 and Female 8 stand 2 metres from the stage-right wall facing one another with their arms spread and their hands fluttering. The paper parts of both their costumes fall down. They stop their hand movements. Long pause. All on the 4/4 beat: Female 7 flips her head to her left twice, then to her right once, then to the back once. Then she flips her head to her left once, waits for a beat, flips her head back, then flips her head to her right. Then she waits for a beat, flips her head to her right, flips her head to her left then falls to her right. Simultaneously, all on the 4/4 beat: Female 8 waits for 2 beats, on the 3rd beat she flips her head to her right, on the 4th beat she flips her head back. Then she waits for a beat, flips her head to her left, waits for a beat, flips her head to her right. Then she flips her head back, flips her head to her right, waits for a beat, then she falls to her left. They land together on the floor, falling towards the stage-left wall, in physical contact and on the next beat, roll as one unit, fast, to the back wall until they hit it. After 10 seconds HORSE 1 and HORSE 2 enter down-stage right. They circle the group that is sitting on the floor, first clock-wise, then anti-clockwise. The Horses appear wild and a couple of times they rear up, then they GALLOP off down-stage left.

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About 1 minute before the Horses exit purple smoke from down-stage begins gradually filling the space until everything is obscured by smoke.

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SCENE 4 Male 12 - Off-white jumpsuit with a piece of

eucalyptus bark around the left leg and left side of the body and reaching up to the left side of the face. Left arm is free, hanging over the bark. The costume contains white sticks in a pocket on the right arm.

Male 13 - Off-white jumpsuit with pieces of black pine bark around the waist and left arm. The costume contains white sticks in a pocket on the right leg.

Male 14 - Off-white jumpsuit with clown collar of slices of ‘hairy’ bark. The costume contains white sticks in a pocket on the right arm.

Male 15 - Off-white jumpsuit with fir tree bark plates on its back. These plates stand up and spread when the performer bends forward, (like a reptile/dinosaur spine.) The costume contains white sticks in a pocket on the right arm.

Female 11 - Off-white jumpsuit with strips of linen tree inner bark hanging from the left arm and down the left side of the body. The costume contains long, white sticks in a pocket on the right leg.

Female 12 - Off-white jumpsuit with birch tree bark plates on its back that come out sideways from the back and also hang from the left side of the body and the left arm. The costume contains long, white sticks in a pocket on the right leg.

Female 13 - Off-white jumpsuit with long pieces of bark extending up the arms from the hands to past the performers’ head. The costume contains white sticks in a pocket on the right leg.

Female 14 - Off-white jumpsuit with a piece of bark along its left arm. The costume contains long, white sticks in a pocket on the right leg.

Female 15 - Black jumpsuit with discreet loops. During this scene Female 15 will acquire sticks, which she will attach to her body using the loops on her jumpsuit.

Stuntman to drive the car. The maximum number of performers on stage at any one time is 9.

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NIGHT The stage set is in the same location as the previous scene. It is made of cardboard. The set is completely obscured by purple smoke. The smoke slowly dissolves to reveal: The back wall is a photographic image of a view of a country road with London visible beyond the hill. The back wall is 12 metres wide. The stage-left and stage-right walls are white and 9 metres wide. The floor painted black with a representation of a tarmac road running up its centre. The road has a Single Carriageway Centre Line, (broken, white line,) along it. The floor is raked. There is an antique, dark wooden, dinner table, with 8 matching chairs, placed 2 metres from the stage-right wall and 2 metres from the back wall. Camera shoots from down-centre. Same WIDE SHOT as before, but as soon as the scene starts, camera TRACKS backwards until the entire set is in shot as well as about 1.5 metres of the outside on each side so London is seen in the background. In this scene various performers speak the lines of an interviewer and of an interviewee, in the continuing dialogue. After about 10 seconds, MALE 12, FEMALE 11, FEMALE 12, MALE 13, FEMALE 13, FEMALE 14, MALE 14 and MALE 15, in that order, march on to the set down-stage left, in single file medium pace. After every 4th step they take a quick step back on the 4th beat. Then continue forward resuming medium pace. As the single file of performers approaches the stage-right wall they turn clockwise to form a large circle. They march one, complete circle medium pace. Then, fast pace, all take one, sideways step outwards left foot first bringing their right foot to feet together in 1 beat; raise then lower their left knee in 1 beat; in 2 beats take 2, sideways steps inwards. Then the performers turn to their right to face in to the circle and walk on the spot fast pace. Then they turn to their left to face outwards and walk clockwise in a side step, crossing the left leg in front of the right leg, medium pace.

FEMALE 12 It’s important for me to understand whether you stopped believing in social change in general, or whether you just

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stopped believing those people could bring about a social change that would permit greater freedom?

MALE 13

My ideology became about trying to live freely instead of talking about freedom. But how does one become free? Perhaps through living without authority? I left home and moved into a shared house. Shared houses back then were not as is often practised today, where people live together for financial reasons. They were about creating a shared life. We didn’t have leaders, made decisions together, everybody was equal - which is actually the founding principle of the communist council republic. This way of living was unimaginable for many. Traditionally people lived at home, got married then moved in together. The shared houses were an attempt to feel free rather than be discussing, with no end in sight and no outcome, possibilities for how to achieve freedom. We were then, of course, accused of just wanting to “hang out”, be totally inactive. FEMALE 14 So you “hanged out” out of principle?

MALE 12 Well, I did.

Female 11 Chaines away from the group and using classical ballet, dances around the space, (ballet to be choreographed during rehearsal drawing on improvisation from the performer.) After 10 seconds Male 14 does the same; then after a further 30 seconds, Female 12; then after a further 20 seconds, 3 together: Male 15 and Female 13 and Female 14; then after a further 30 seconds, Male 13 and Male 14. When Female 11 begins her Chaines the camera starts to FOLLOW the performers. (Camera to be blocked during rehearsal.) Each performer dances alone for the most part but sometimes engages with another performer or 2 other performers. Female 14 stops and on the spot, starts slightly raising and lowering her

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right foot, with her foot relaxed and on the ball, marking the 4/4 beat. Camera comes to a stop. It shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. After 5 seconds the performers stop, each holding an individual, classical ballet pose. Female 12’s pose is her bending forwards with her back bent, (so her costume fans.) Performers hold for 4 beats. The performers start slightly raising and lowering their right foot, with their foot relaxed and on the ball, marking the beat, for 12 beats. Female 3 Chaines on the spot. The other performers, taking 4 beats to do this, strike new, individual, classical ballet, poses then start slightly raising and lowering their right foot, with their foot relaxed and on the ball, marking the beat, for 8 beats. Stop. The performers start moving all together to quickly form a diagonal line running from up-stage left to down-stage right, facing forwards, (down-stage right.) Hold for 4 beats. One by one they begin marching on the spot fast pace in the following order: 2nd from the back followed by 4th and 5th from the back, then 7th from the back, then 1st and 6th and 8th from the back lastly 3rd from the back. Once they’re marching in step they march for a further 4 beats. On the next beat the performers turn to face down-stage left, (so they are now side by side in their diagonal line,) and march for a further 7. The performers’ turn to face down-stage left is the camera’s cue to TRACK down-stage left, to film the performers FRONTALLY in a WIDE SHOT. Performers continue marching fast pace on the spot during the following dialogue.

FEMALE 13, MALE 13

Did your new approach intend to bring change only to you and the people close by?

FEMALE 13, MALE 13

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MALE 15 I realised that I could only create a sense of freedom through living something that felt free. The idea was to break patterns we perceived as unfree and oppressive. I left school, didn’t pursue any further education. I refused to learn some special skill that together with my whole person could be turned into capital.

FEMALE 13, MALE 13, MALE 15, FEMALE 11, MALE 12

Do you have any regrets about following that path?

FEMALE 13, MALE 13, MALE 15, FEMALE 11, MALE 12, MALE 14,

FEMALE 12, FEMALE 14 No, not at all. It was a conscious decision I made about how I wanted to live my life. I wasn’t under any illusions about the future. I knew there was a great chance capitalism would survive, at least my lifetime. Of course, without a career it’s harder to make a living but I think it’s crucial to make a decision and commit to it and live with the consequences.

During the following dialogue the performers take 2 medium pace steps forward, right foot first; 1 medium pace step on the spot; then 1 medium pace side step to the left.

FEMALE 13, MALE 13, MALE 15, FEMALE 11, MALE 12, MALE 14,

FEMALE 12, FEMALE 14 (continuing) Apart from my increasingly worsening asthma, being a taxi driver is not bad. I meet people, a lot of idiots, but also interesting people and there is a lot of waiting time where I can read or listen or think. That is some sense of freedom for me.

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Performers take 2 steps forward medium pace, right foot first; keeping the same medium pace each raise their right leg behind with the knee bent and foot pointed; step on to their right leg in a sideways, short lung; draw their left foot to the right foot to stand; then bend their knees, (as much as costume will allow,) keeping the torso straight. Pulse fast pace for 4 beats. Camera begins slowly TRACKING backwards, gradually WIDENING the SHOT. During the above camera movement the performers walk backwards, fast pace, keeping their legs strictly rigid. As the performers walk back they fall in to widening rows that form a triangle. Male 12 takes small, rigid steps and stays CAMERA CENTRE, to form one point of the triangle. Female 11, Female 12 and Male 14 take slightly larger, rigid steps and form a middle row. Female 13, Female 14, Male 13 and Male 15 take even larger, rigid steps and form a back row. Once the triangle is established the performers bend their upper body to parallel for 2, rigid steps still fast pace; straighten for 2, rigid steps and repeat. (Costume restrictions will be experimented with during rehearsal). When they can walk no further the performers turn to their left and face the stage-left wall, then turn to their right and face the stage-right wall, fast pace. Fast pace and with legs still rigid on the next beat they bend their upper body to parallel; wait 1 beat; pulse for 4 whilst stepping backwards for 4; straighten. The performers then extend their right foot forward to point it just above the ground; on the next beat swing their right leg in a semi-circle to the back keeping the extended toe just above the ground; on the next beat swing the leg in a semi-circle to the front; repeat the semi-circle to the back; then to the front; then on the next repeated semi-circle to the back jump backwards on to their extended right foot leaving their left leg extended forward with the foot pointed just above the ground. Left foot first the performers then walk backwards, fast pace but with legs no longer rigid, for 3 and bring their legs together on the 4th beat. Keep repeating sequence from the top of the paragraph (“...performers then extend their right foot”) until the performers’ group is 2 metres away from the stage-left wall.

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Then repeat the sequence with the variation of: The second time their extended right leg is swung in a semi-circle to the front, the performers jump forward on to it leaving their left leg extended behind with the foot pointed just above the ground. The performers step back on to their left leg and walk backwards, fast pace, to form a line against the stage-left wall. Camera PANS so it films the line of performers in profile, CAMERA RIGHT. During the following dialogue the performers are carrying out a sequence of steps whilst individual performers speak: Starting on their right foot walk on the spot on the beat for 3 steps; on the 4th beat extend their left foot out to the ball of the foot; walk on the spot for 4 beats; walk on the spot for 3 beats; on the 4th beat extend their right foot out to the ball of the foot; walk on the spot for 4 beats; wait for 4 beats. Repeat and continue repeating. Female 13 starts speaking on the 7th beat.

FEMALE 13 Can we talk about your family? Did you try to structure family life in accordance with that same principle of “living something that felt free”?

Female 13 places the bark section of her costume on the floor, lowering herself to do so, whilst pulsing her body to the same rhythm the other performers are moving to. When she is lying on the floor she continues to pulse her body. After 2 seconds from when she starts lowering herself, Male 15 starts speaking. Half way through Female 13 lowering herself, Female 14 and Male 12 begin to do the same. They are lying down on the floor before Male 15 has finished speaking his lines of dialogue.

MALE 15 I didn’t see my family as a political project. I understood the individual as such, not as part of an ideology. But I did feel it was important to continually question how we actually lived together. The family is not separate from society, you could say it’s the basis of society, social values are created there. I didn’t want to represent authority within my family, but on paper, we lived quite a traditional family life. There was a father and a mother. I started to earn money as a taxi driver and my wife looked

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after the children. But communication was not hierarchical, I saw myself as equal to my children. I used to reject authority completely but I didn’t practice this extreme, anti-authoritarian, upbringing either. Those models failed. In some communities children didn’t even know who their parents were and in the end nobody took care of them. Today, I think authority can also be positive. But nobody should follow any authority without thinking about what that authority is asking for. And an authority has to answer questions at any time. Power can never go unquestioned. The opposite, it should be a conscious construction in which all involved take part. My father, for example, was very authoritarian, but I respected him because he presented his perspectives and rules with much love and life experience. I discussed with him endlessly. But that stopped.

FEMALE 11, MALE 14

Why? Female 11, Female 12 and Male 14 place the bark section of their costumes on the floor, lowering themselves to do so, whilst pulsing their bodies to the same rhythm the other performers are moving to. When they are lying on the floor they continue to pulse their bodies. After 3 seconds from when they start lowering themselves, Male 15 and Male 13 start speaking.

MALE 15, MALE 13 My father couldn’t live up to it. They didn’t know how to react to the younger generation confronting them about fascism. He shut down and our communication collapsed.

Male 15 and Male 13 place the bark section of their costumes on the floor, lowering themselves to do so, whilst pulsing their bodies to the same rhythm the other performers are moving to. When they are lying on the floor they continue to pulse their bodies.

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The performers are all pulsing in rhythm now. They continue for 8 beats. On the 9th beat each performer raises off the ground, using the same pulsing technique that they used when they went down. They face the stage-right wall. They walk clockwise fast pace and form a circle. Camera TRACKS until it shoots from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The performers continue walking in their circle. When Male 13 has reached down-centre, from behind him, Female 13 reaches for his left arm with her right hand and yanks him across her so that she passes him as she keeps on walking and he is left spinning. Male 13’s spinning comes to a stop when he is facing the stage-left wall. The rest of the group is continuing their walking. The moment Male 13 stops, Female 14 forcefully lifts his left leg, pushing the back of his thigh so his left knee raises, (left foot relaxed,) as she is passing him by. Male 13 continues the motion, lifting and lowering his left knee. As Male 14 passes Male 13, he places his arms to support Male 13’s back and Male 13 is triggered to fall in to them. Male 14 swiftly lowers Male 13’s rigid body almost to the ground and in the same motion with the same momentum, brings him straight back up. The group breaks up. The performers walk around the space with their legs strictly rigid fast pace. On the 4th beat they all take a step towards the stage-left wall. On the next 4th beat they all take a step towards the stage-right wall. On the next 4th beat the take a step in any random direction and on the next 4th beat they take a step towards the fourth wall. The camera slowly moves through the performers, TRACKING to the back wall. From the midst of the performers it begins to ROTATE in a clockwise direction so when it reaches its destination, it is shooting from up-centre. By the point the camera is shooting from up-centre the performers have arrived in a formation - 3 performers stand in single file facing the back wall and 5 performers stand side by side in a line that makes a far side, 90 degree angle from the line of 3. The performer closest to the stage-right wall is facing the stage-right wall, the next is slightly angled towards the back wall (to camera), the next performer is turned a little

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further to the back wall, the next is angled up-stage left and the next is facing the back wall. The performers walk on the spot with their legs rigid fast pace. Then the person in the back row that is closest to the stage-right wall walks over to the single file, line of 3 and stands about 50 cm away from them, between the performer in the middle and the one at the back. Camera TRACKS in a diagonal and ROTATES slightly anti-clockwise until it is shooting from the stage-right wall. Shortly after the camera begins TRACKING the formation of performers breaks up. The performers, using classical ballet, dance around the space, (ballet to be choreographed during rehearsal drawing on improvisation from the performers,) but are stiffer than when they have done this before and a bit more fragmented. A little after the camera has established its position, shooting from the stage-right wall, all the performers stop dancing. Female 11 and Male 12 are closer to camera than the others and facing it. Female 11 puts her hands out to support male 12 from the side to support him to fall sideways (down-stage,) keeping his body rigid. Male 12 is almost lowered to the ground and held there. Then all the performers Chaines in to a T formation, backing on to the stage-left wall: 2 at the front, 2 in the centre and 4 at the back. After the first 5 seconds of Chaines, the camera TRACKS in a diagonal line to down-stage left-centre and ROTATES to shoot from there. At the point the camera reaches its destination the performers start walking on the spot fast pace facing the stage-right wall. Then the performers walk 3 steps forwards (towards the stage-right wall); 1 step right; 3 steps forwards; 1 step back; 3 steps forwards; 1 step left; then repeat. Camera slowly TRACKS with the dancers as they graduate towards the stage-right wall until it is shooting from down-centre. WIDE SHOT. The stage-left wall falls, smashes down inwards, exposing a view on to London behind it.

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The performers’ pace does not change. When they arrive at the stage-right wall the performers walk backwards fast pace, shifting formation so the T shape is reversed, with the head of the T now closest to the stage-right wall and the whole formation graduating to the, (now absent,) stage-left wall. When the performer in the middle row that is closest to the back wall reaches CAMERA CENTRE she/he stops and walks on the spot fast pace. When the performer in the head of the T that is second from the front reaches CAMERA CENTRE he/she does the same. The other performers maintain their formation positions, as they continue their backwards walking. Then the performers move towards the stage-right wall again, walking forwards fast pace but not changing their formation this time, (so the head of the T is now at the front i.e. front of their direction of travel and graduating towards the stage-right wall.) Three more performers stop then start walking on the spot when they pass through CAMERA CENTRE - the two performers in the head of the T that are closest to the front and the performer in the back row of the T that is closest to the front. Then the performers move towards the, (now absent,) stage-left wall again, walking backwards fast pace but without changing their positions in, or the current shape of, the formation. This time the remaining performer left in the middle row stops then starts walking on the spot when she/he passes through CAMERA CENTRE. The two remaining performers continue walking to the, (now absent,) stage-left wall maintaining their positions in the formation. The last remaining performers in the formation walk towards the stage-right wall again and stop then start walking on the spot when they pass through CAMERA CENTRE. All the performers are now walking on the spot fast pace. NB: whenever a performer stops in the centre he/she takes a step to the side so the people from the formation adjacent to their original position can continue moving through the space in a straight, uninterrupted line. The line of performers, maintaining their side by side stance, rotate around an imaginary point in the centre, so it is as if the line is moving around an axis (as opposed to moving on an axis).

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FEMALE 15 enters downstage-right, just as the line of performers is angled diagonally in that direction so she coincidentally walks parallel with the rotating line as she enters the space. The performers that are in the line remove sticks from their costumes at random and throw them at Female 15. She picks a stick up from the floor and fixes it onto her upper arm so that the stick extends her upper arm beyond the elbow. The performers in the line keep throwing the sticks whilst she is doing this. Some sticks hit her; others land next to her on the floor. When she has finished fixing the first stick, she picks up another. This continues until she has attached 14 sticks to her body to extend her shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, hips, hands, upper legs and lower legs. Using classical ballet, Female 15 dances around the space, (ballet to be choreographed during rehearsal drawing on improvisation from the performer.) The performers that are in the line continue the line’s rotation for a further semi-circle maintaining fast pace then at that same pace, walk to the table and sit in the chairs, where they stay completely still for 20 seconds. Female 15 continues to dance. She dances lightly and elegantly. Camera continues shooting from down-centre. WIDE SHOT.

FEMALE 11 Do you feel you created a sense of freedom within your own family?

MALE 12 I think you need to have some sense of freedom in order to give freedom to others. Freedom means, in this sense, a person is free...well, what is a free person actually?

FEMALE 14, MALE 13 Yes. Tell me.

MALE 14

I would say someone who is self sufficient, who doesn’t need others but can draw on himself or herself. Who is

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not dependent on role models or ideals. It’s about personal development. But my impression is that people don’t fundamentally change.

Camera TRACKS forward to the stage-left of the table and films it CIRCLING it anti-clockwise. As the camera CIRCLES, Female 15’s dancing sporadically brings her in to SHOT.

MALE 14

(continuing) If someone is a good person, he or she can develop and possibly reach a sense of freedom and when someone is differently positioned, then he or she will always be an idiot. Maybe that’s too black and white, but I have rarely experienced that someone changed fundamentally. Perhaps that’s scepticism that comes with age. When you are young you have this enthusiasm, want to change the world. When I got older I started to believe that you can’t change people by talking. It’s not worth trying, it’s energy you waste and it’s not good for you, you lose your track. Today, I don’t think it’s possible to create a free society. But a freer one I think is possible. FEMALE 11, FEMALE 12 They are only “idiots” and “good people” from your perspective. Isn’t that another way of oppressing people, amending them to fit your value system? MALE 14, FEMALE 13, MALE 13 Well, it’s stupid to talk about freedom and then harm someone else, force or oppress in the name of freedom. I think that is what those political groups did. The self-appointed leaders of the APO didn’t tolerate anyone not working to realise their aims. And the more radical groups went as far as to extinguish people. OK, I’m just talking and talking, it’s very difficult, you don’t ask me any

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concrete questions. “Freedom” is not a notion you can easily grasp or describe. FEMALE 14, MALE 15 Let’s go back to your family. How practical was the questioning, how did it work to continually question how you lived together? MALE 13, MALE 12 We discussed and asked questions, also the children, for example at dinnertime or during family outings. I’m going to open the window for a moment the air is so much better in the hills. Let me know if it’s too loud. FEMALE 12 It’s very loud; I won’t be able to hear you.

MALE 15, FEMALE 13 OK I’m closing it.

A white, cardboard car DRIVES on to the set fast from down-stage left and CRASHES through the back wall taking the wall with it so the wall falls over. The car manages to BRAKE and comes to a stop slightly angled to its left, as the view on to London that was behind the wall is revealed. Everything is frozen for about 30 seconds.

CUT TO BLACK:

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SCENE 5 Female 16 - Aluminium tubes around the forearms, upper

arms, thighs and lower legs connected with strips of dark grey leather.

NIGHT Just a few pieces of set from the previous scene remain: The stage-right wall is still there. The smashed down back wall with its now torn, photographic image is still there. The car is still there, in the same spot. Everything else from scene 4 is gone. WIDE SHOT from down-centre of what is left of the set, the park surrounding it and London, visible in the distance. FEMALE 16 enters down-stage left. A series of 60, cardboard, building blocks fans out behind her. The wall they make is taller than she is. Most are white but a few are painted with differing colours, with patterns such as stripes or circles. Most are cubes (40cm x 40cm), but there are also a few rectangles and tetrahedrons (80cm x 40cm). As she walks, they gradually fall off and remain in the space. Female 16 takes a few steps, slow pace, in a straight diagonal line towards the car, then pauses to speak. In this scene Female 16 speaks the lines of an interviewer and of an interviewee, in the continuing dialogue.

FEMALE 16 I wonder what implications it has to draw any distinction between activism in the public and private spheres. How did Ulrike Meinhof put it? You can’t practice anti-authoritarian politics in public and beat your children at home. But, you also cannot - not beat your children at home but not fight for freedom in the public sphere.

Female 16 takes 2 steps forward.

FEMALE 16 OK, but what does it mean to “fight for freedom” in the “public sphere”?

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Female 16 takes 2 steps forward.

FEMALE 16 I guess it’s to take action that will affect the people outside your home.

Female 16 takes 3 steps forward.

FEMALE 16 (V.O.) The tragic thing is that people in the APO who talked about eliminating a division between spheres, used the power they gained in the public sphere, solely for themselves.

During the following dialogue Female 16 takes 2 steps forward.

FEMALE 16 (V.O.) (continuing) Then they moved on to political parties, with, I think, very questionable motives. They couldn’t secure enough power for themselves in remaining outside of politics, which had been a guiding principle of the APO so far and so the Green Party evolved. OK, it was clear by then

During the following dialogue Female 16 puts her right foot up on the boot of the car.

FEMALE 16 (V.O.) (continuing) that there wouldn’t be any socialist revolution, so maybe the Green Party still offered some hope. But those leaders of the left-wing groups had always wanted careers, political careers.

During the following dialogue Female 16 draws herself up until she is standing on the car, with her feet together.

FEMALE 16 (V.O.) (continuing) Which is no different to wanting a career in any other field. They bullied others, garnered more and more power for themselves to be and to stay, on top. And

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the Green Party never lived up to its promises and still hasn’t today. I’m very disappointed with their environmental policies. I’m asthmatic, I suffer from air pollution. I did some research and found so many reports on how suspended solids from Diesel are especially harmful. In Switzerland, Diesel is 20 to 30% more expensive so it’s not used privately, even most taxis don’t use Diesel there. When the Green Party was in power they didn’t do anything. They were more worried about the car industry than people’s health or the environment. Only recently did they change the laws on filters. There is so much compromise between fighting for better conditions in the so-called public sphere and personal, egocentric interest in maintaining positions of power there. I’m going to stop the car before I reach the city, to enjoy the view. From here the city looks almost beautiful. But we can keep talking.

Female 16 takes forward steps until her left foot is at the base of the car’s back window.

FEMALE 16, FEMALE 16 (V.O.) In the next question I asked: “Do you think it’s possible to create personal freedom in an unfree society?” I’ll tell you what you wrote!

FEMALE 16 I think I wrote that freedom doesn’t exist.

Female 16 draws herself up until she is standing on the roof of the car, with her feet together.

FEMALE 16, FEMALE 16 (V.O.) No, you said: “There are always dependencies, so called unfreedoms, to feel free is a subjective perception.“

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Now my question is: Have you ever felt free?

Female 16 takes 3 steps along the car and stops with her feet together.

FEMALE 16 I have felt extremely free at times...yes, such a fire or enthusiasm, multiple times, when I started something new that I believed in, a personal relationship or back then when I was part of the student movement I thought, wow, this is great, finally something reasonable, a kind of euphoria and also in relation to my family...I manifested something, a way of living, I had children, a wife, that’s a mind-blowing feeling. I didn’t invent it I actually fell in love. Then I felt a sense of freedom. But it changed...

Female 16 takes 1 step forward.

FEMALE 16 (continuing) I didn’t feel such a strong sense of freedom when I was part of the political groups. The freest I felt during the movement, was when we started the school revolution. But somehow there were always people who wanted to set you right. I experienced that as unfreedom. You asked whether I have ever felt free? I always have the feeling that freedom is impossible to grasp. You can’t make claims that this or the other is freedom. As you’ve seen, it is a pretty difficult subject and trying to grasp it as a theme very quickly leads to discussions on power, oppression and...well, unfreedom. The situations where I realise I am not free, inside structures that create unfreedom, are when I am in a relationship that is somehow oppressive. But when you are free enough, you can leave such relationships. But I don’t think there is a person who is completely

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free from everything, every kind of impression is an influence. I want to be free from influences, find my own way. If you say you feel connected to what I’m saying it already means a certain unfreedom because it represents an influence.

Female 16 places her left foot next to her right foot.

FEMALE 16 (V.O.) Yes, but the hope is that you are free to choose whether to agree with someone or not and to leave if you feel it’s necessary.

Female 16 takes 2 steps forward and now stands at the edge of the car roof.

FEMALE 16 Yes, that’s what I mean, that free will, that free choice, exactly, that you can realize a situation is making you unfree and are able to leave. The problem is that many people are not able to leave even when they know they did not make a free choice to be there.

Female 16 kneels then lies down. The remaining building blocks fall from her. As she lies down, very slow JIB SHOT and TILT as the camera slowly rises to a HIGH-ANGLE SHOT of Female 16. The camera continues to move after Female 16 has become still.

END