Never Come Back

| #14 Lost Archives II
(BALi, KulturBahnhof Kassel)

Museum depots are places where things are kept out of sight, but also protected from all-too-schematic historical judgments. In his new film, Assaf Gruber continues his ongoing investigation of the backstage areas of art institutions to engage with Neue Galerie Graz’s holdings. In the cage-like space of the repository, we see a naked musician working intensely on a composition. He is inspired by artists who belong to a gray area between modernist aspirations and enthusiasm for Nazism. Our mysterious protagonist tentatively plays a familiar melody. It's a song known to many of us, recognizable from dance floors across Europe – but how many of us have ever bothered to listen to its remarkably imperialistic lyrics?

  • Duration: 18 Min.
  • Countries: Austria, Germany
  • Languages: No dialogues
  • Subtitles: No subtitles
  • Production year: 2023

  • Director: Assaf Gruber
  • Camera: Simon Veroneg
  • Editing: Assaf Gruber, Janina Herhoffer
  • Sound: Lukas Benedicic, Jochen Jezussek
  • Music: Rudi Katholnig
  • Production: Assaf Gruber