Synopsis
Sláva is an internationally sought-after opera director, but what does it truly mean to be a successful woman in the fluid world of international opera?
Growing up in a small town in Slovakia, she lacked formal training in music or theatre. She kicked off as an experimental performance artist, captivating audiences with her unique monodramas that celebrated extraordinary female heroines. She pushed and challenged the viewers' perspectives on women and their different roles in life.
After receiving many national awards and achieving significant success in independent theatre, she moved forward to becoming a full-time opera and theatre director. In just a few seasons, she became the most widely recognized Slovak opera director of all time on the global stage. Being equally loved by the audience as well as the professionals, applauded even by the legends such as Placido Domingo in Sankt Peterburg's Mariinsky Theatre.
She is a self-made masterpiece – an outsider carving out her own space. Her interpretations are visually astounding, often radical, and her portrayal of women disturbing. At times they're resilient and uncompromising, but frequently also inanimate, beautiful puppets manipulated by others, mainly men. A need to grasp control over her own life is an obsessively recurring theme in her plays. Also, the yearning for love, belonging, and making a mark. While her identity appears anchored solely within the art world, the significance of her creative endeavors seems to be losing meaning for her without the balance of family or a partner. She is on the edge of personal burnout, a malaise increasingly prevalent in society today. Through revealing interviews, observation, and captivating archival footage, this film tells the story of Sláva's journey as an artist while capturing an intimate portrait of her as a person. It provides a rare glimpse into the inner world of artistic genius and uncovers the cost of professional success for women.
Growing up in a small town in Slovakia, she lacked formal training in music or theatre. She kicked off as an experimental performance artist, captivating audiences with her unique monodramas that celebrated extraordinary female heroines. She pushed and challenged the viewers' perspectives on women and their different roles in life.
After receiving many national awards and achieving significant success in independent theatre, she moved forward to becoming a full-time opera and theatre director. In just a few seasons, she became the most widely recognized Slovak opera director of all time on the global stage. Being equally loved by the audience as well as the professionals, applauded even by the legends such as Placido Domingo in Sankt Peterburg's Mariinsky Theatre.
She is a self-made masterpiece – an outsider carving out her own space. Her interpretations are visually astounding, often radical, and her portrayal of women disturbing. At times they're resilient and uncompromising, but frequently also inanimate, beautiful puppets manipulated by others, mainly men. A need to grasp control over her own life is an obsessively recurring theme in her plays. Also, the yearning for love, belonging, and making a mark. While her identity appears anchored solely within the art world, the significance of her creative endeavors seems to be losing meaning for her without the balance of family or a partner. She is on the edge of personal burnout, a malaise increasingly prevalent in society today. Through revealing interviews, observation, and captivating archival footage, this film tells the story of Sláva's journey as an artist while capturing an intimate portrait of her as a person. It provides a rare glimpse into the inner world of artistic genius and uncovers the cost of professional success for women.
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