SOH10 the Opera

The opera begins at the end. The woman has just experienced a terrible accident, a crash of both the computer and her brain to which the computer is connected. The first two parts take us through the reconstruction of her story, the use of her body, speech, memory and the data banks and central brain of the computer. She shares genetic, organic material with the computer as the computer replaces parts of her body with its cybernetic material. The relationship is unclear to both of them. Where reality exists is in a floating multi-layered network of hallucinations, fractured memories and her externalized inner life viewed on the computers screens, the film itself. She is physically present, witnessing and participating in the story on the stage, the computer, consisting of screens, sounds, musical icons and a glass central unit on which the woman performs her rituals of reconstruction. The story unfolds to her and to us simultaneously in a quest to understand what caused the accident...

Directed by Soh Alex Vermeulen, SOH10 the Opera leans on a strong ensemble — Kate Strong, Frank Feys, Kristiaan Horvers — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2003.