The Legend of Kaspar Hauser

The historic Kaspar Hauser updated: in this surreal post-Western shot in beautiful black-and-white, Kaspar washes up on a Mediterranean beach where they try to turn him into a club DJ. With music by Vitalic and with Vincent Gallo as both Sheriff and the Pusher.

Vincent Gallo plays a double lead in this Italian version of the legend of Kaspar Hauser, a mysterious boy who appeared in the streets of Nuremberg in 1828 and could hardly talk. His ancestry (royal, according to some) and history were never explained.

In this absurdist retelling by director Davide Manuli, the tracksuit- and headphone-wearing Kaspar Hauser washes up on the beach of an almost uninhabited island, where he is found and received as the messiah by The Sheriff (Gallo) who is also a DJ. The Duchess, who rules the tiny community, feels threatened by the blond boy and sends The Pusher (also Gallo) to fix things. The brief chapters, which all consist of a single, long take and feature minimal, surreal dialogues, tell Hauser’s story. All in black-and-white against the sober background of deserted beaches and villages, supported by Vitalic’s pumping rhythms. –IFFR