The Fifth Gospel of Kaspar Hauser

  • 61'
  • Spain
  • 2013
The story of Kaspar Hauser, the German 'wild child' who grew up for 16 years in silence and virtually in the dark in a stable with only a wooden horse as company, remains fascinating, also for filmmakers. Werner Herzog did a film on him in 1974. In The Fifth Gospel of Kaspar Hauser, mostly shot in atmospheric black-and-white on 16mm, we see impressions of his life and ‘civilising process’.
On one side there is ubiquitous nature, a world without language, and on the other we see him in the company of several archetypes: a masked, sadomasochistic dwarf; a vamp-like girl; a seaman and a man in a Batman suit (played by the director, Alberto Gracia).
The soundtrack also has a constant tension between the peaceful sounds of nature and ominous music. Gracia divides his ‘gospel’ of Kaspar Hauser into seven chapters. The sixth is an absurdist intermezzo with the archetypal characters' dialogues in inter-titles.


  • 61'
  • Spain
  • 2013
Director
Alberto Gracia
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Spain
Year
2013
Festival Edition
IFFR 2013
Length
61'
Medium
DCP
Original title
O quinto evanxeo de Gaspar Hauser
Languages
Galician, Spanish
Producers
Oliver Laxe, Felipe Lage
Production Company
Zeitun Films
Sales
Zeitun Films
Screenplay
Alberto Gracia
Cinematography
Mauro Herce
Editor
Diana Toucedo, Alberto Gracia
Production Design
Oliver Laxe
Sound Design
Alberto Gracia, Enrico Fiocco
Cast
Alberto Gracia, Oliver Laxe
Director
Alberto Gracia
Premiere
World premiere
Country of production
Spain
Year
2013
Festival Edition
IFFR 2013
Length
61'
Medium
DCP
Original title
O quinto evanxeo de Gaspar Hauser
Languages
Galician, Spanish
Producers
Oliver Laxe, Felipe Lage
Production Company
Zeitun Films
Sales
Zeitun Films
Screenplay
Alberto Gracia
Cinematography
Mauro Herce
Editor
Diana Toucedo, Alberto Gracia
Production Design
Oliver Laxe
Sound Design
Alberto Gracia, Enrico Fiocco
Cast
Alberto Gracia, Oliver Laxe