Anja’s Lament is the powerful proof-of-concept short film for the upcoming feature film, Adieu. The story is about a talented violinist, Anja, who grieves the suicide of her beloved sister, Liane. Anja struggles against her own personal insecurities and her emotionally calloused father as she tries to understand why Liane took her life. Fearing that history may inevitably repeat itself, Anja desperately tries to find the motivation to keep living.
Her inspiration is found in her instrument. She believes that the powerful voice of her violin can communicate her deepest feelings in ways she’s unable to express through words. Later in the story (not shown in this scene) Anja meets an empathetic American journalist who perceives and understands the pain in her heart. He gives her the confidence and courage to persevere.
This beautiful proof-of-concept scene was filmed at a stately villa in the Black Forest area of Germany for two days in August 2019. The woman was played by the talented, professional violinist, Simone Strohmeier. Kurt Michael von Bibra plays the stern father. The aim of this short film is to establish the power of Anja's musical gift while showing the tension between Anja's character and her insensitive father, using the least amount of dialogue possible.
The violin solo performed by Simone is from the symphony Poéme by Ernest Chausson. It was recorded at the Janz Recording Studio in Kandern, Germany. This short film was produced by Sara Meyer and developed/directed by James Meyer and Ryan Lee Taylor.
James and his wife Sara have won multiple awards for their feature length films, The Kingdom and The Traveler. Adieu will be their next feature-length film. It will address the issue of depression that leads to hopelessness, while offering inspiration that brings hope. Adieu is currently in development and is expected to begin pre-production in late 2021.
Watch Anja's Lament, the 5 minute proof-of-concept scene here:
Written By Sarah Bubke
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