Katja Straub: Dream Nails

When the growing hostility and negativity around Cindy finally reaches the haven of her local nail salon, she decides to fight it with the magic of love.

Project start:
2022
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Cindy (65) regularly escapes into the microcosm of her nail studio DREAM NAILS to find peace and relaxation. As she tries to indulge in the manicure of Duc, her favorite nail practicioner, she notices that racism, sexism and a general aggressiveness have long since found their way into her beloved refuge. The negativity around her becomes unbearable. Cindys gathers her inner strength. As if by magic, the movements of those present begin to synchronize. At first sporadically and against their will, but in the end everyone geves in and becomes transformed by surreal togetherness.

The choreography develops from the everyday movements in a nail salon of both the customers and the nail practicioners. The same thing happens in the sound design. Sounds such as filing, massaging, splashing water develop from chaos to rhythm and harmony. The aim is to arrive at a collective way of communication through movement and sound. A collective, physical experience that goes beyond the boundaries of language arises. In a common dance number, the boundaries of diversity of any kind are overcome. Based on movements and tones in a nail salon.

  • Project lead: Katja Straub
  • Web page: www.rocketfilm.com
  • CV:  Katja Straub studierte Experimentelle Mediengestaltung an der Universität der Künste in Berlin und anschließend Regie an der University of Texas in Austin, USA. Katjas Filme wurden auf zahlreichen Filmfestivals und in Museen präsentiert, darunter: Museum of Modern Art, New York City;Images Festival, Toronto; Transmediale, Berlin; Museo Nationale Reina Sofia, Madrid; VIPER Basel; Natalfilm Durban, South Africa; Seattle International Film Festival, Munich International Film Festival etc. 2008 bis 2009 unterrichtete Katja Straub als Dozentin für Narrativen Film an der University of Texas in Austin. Darauf folgte eine 5-jährige Gastprofessur an der Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, USA. Seit 2014 lebt sie wieder in Berlin und arbeitet an einer Sammlung von Kurzgeschichten. 
  • Artistic Qualification, discipline: Acting
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