The Assistant

An adaptation of Robert Walser’s 1908 novel, The Assistant is a study of an inventor’s business in a state of inexorable decline, and the young man employed by its owner who watches on in despair, drawing chilling parallels with the machinations of contemporary neo-liberal Society.

Joseph Marti leaves his monotonous job as a bookbinder and finds employment as the live-in assistant to engineer Karl Tobler. Hired to believe in his new boss’ grandiose – but hopeless – inventions, Joseph soon finds himself submerged in the rituals of a household teetering on the edge of collapse.

Adapted from Robert Walser’s 1908 novel, Wilhelm and Anka Sasnal’s The Assistant explores the enduring dynamics of servitude, ambition, and human connection. Shot on film, it captures the texture of a ‘fin de siècle’ period piece while echoing the aesthetics of 1970s cinema, creating a dreamlike narrative that bridges history and modernity. 

As past and present intermingle fluidly, Joseph’s role evolves from dutiful observer to confidante, perhaps something more of Mrs. Tobler. Yet, his allegiance to his master goes unrewarded, trapping him in a system that takes his work for granted. Through evocative imagery – from chaotic revelries to haunting encounters with enigmatic bureaucrats – and an evocative soundtrack, the Sasnal’s reveal the fragility of capitalist ambition and the emotional toll of dependency. The Assistant is a sophisticated and visually striking exploration of society’s undercurrents, both of its time and urgently contemporary.

– Vanja Kaludjercic

Trailer

Interview

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•