Thomas der Hochspringer – Annina Wettstein

When I was watching Thomas der Hochspringer for the first time, my journey through the film was marked by fascination and irritation. What kind of social system was this story leading me into? What were the relationships between the protagonists? A film about a high-performance athlete that didn’t show the sport itself, how was that possible?

Leri Matehha brilliantly explores narrative and visual ambivalences by countering the disturbing universe of an aseptic, hermetically sealed-off sports camp with bucolic scenes on the training grounds. The aesthetic hyperbole brings a startling tranquillity to her portrait of the daily lives of young athletes. Its calm tonality can tip into apathy or passive-aggressive power games at a moment’s notice. Her focus is on the body and its control. Allowing for multiple readings, the film transcends all stereotypes precisely by playing with them.

The director and author knows the system from the inside. She was a competitive athlete herself for over ten years and has frequently examined the body and its representation in short video essays and publications. In her debut feature, Thomas der Hochspringer, both her astute approach to male physicality and her precise artistic manner are a delight, and it’s no surprise that she will be continuing her exploration of this theme: in her new film project, now in development, she will explore the German Lebensreform movement and the body cult enthusiasts of the early 20th century. I’m already excited.

Written by Annina Wettstein