KAFKA's INSECT

music – video art – sound design

KAFKA’S INSECT is an interdisciplinary performance by Ruben Zahra based on the short novel ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka, published in 1915. The interdisciplinary profile of this performance presents the narrative through a cycle of video-art scenes, accompanied by a live piano score and modular analog synthesizers with an emphasis on the MOOG Mother 32. In KAFKA’S INSECT, the narrative is presented through those moments in the story that refer to sound, such as rain pelting against the window panes, a medicinal glass vial shattering on the floor the prodding of feet as the furniture, apples hurled by Mr Samsa … etc. The accessibility of the performance transcends the spoken word through the universal language of images, sound and music. The video was shot with the Achromat lens created in France in 1839 capturing an illuminous soft focus with rich textured backgrounds – rarely achieved with modern lenses.

Ruben Zahra – music, direction, video editing, animation
Tricia Dawn Williams – piano

Film Credits

Matthew Muscat Drago – director of photography, filming & colour grading
Kenneth Scicluna – production manager
Aleksander Bundalo – sound recordist
Jackie Grima – make-up
Adrian Mamo – production design
Isabelle Gatt – Mrs Samsa
Silvio Axisa – Mr Samsa
Andre Mangion – Gregor Samsa
Svetlana Alexa – Grete Samsa
Agnieszka Kuzma – Greta Samsa (violinist)