Streaming tip: The most disturbing cinematic universe you’ve never heard of – you really need strong nerves here!

At FILMSTARTS we regularly introduce you to highlights on Netflix, insider tips on Amazon Prime Video and new releases on Disney+ – because there are plenty of them month after month. But if you’re getting tired of the gritty action with Liam Neeson, the cinematic nightmares of Gaspar Noé or dark thrillers from the Far East; as Marvel and Co. in your opinion just working on the assembly line and classic streaming blockbusters will bore you at best and annoy you at worst; if you are looking for something completely new, something you have never seen before and that pushes the apparent boundaries of cinema, three letters The solution for you will be: “DAU”.

You could simply dismiss ‘DAU’ as a biopic, a film adaptation of the life of the Soviet physicist Lev Dawidowitsch Landau. But that would be a bit like calling the Marvel Cinematic Universe a Punch and Judy show for nerds – that’s certainly somewhat true, but at the same time, the MCU is also the most successful cinematic saga of all time. And that’s why you should do the same Classify “DAU” correctly: you can’t expect just any biopic here, not just anything film, but the result of a unique interdisciplinary projectthe making of which is at least as exciting as the 13 (!) films that have been made so far.

“DAU”: When life and fiction merge

Filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky began conceptualizing and developing his idea for ‘DAU’ in 2005, three years before the cameras finally rolled – and how they rolled: for three years: filming took place from 2008 to 2011. And no, there were no complications, cuts or delays responsible for this incredible screen time. But to understand how such an escalation can occur, you need to understand the context in which “DAU” was created.

To make the dimensions of “DAU” even somewhat tangible: a total of 392,000 (!!) women and men signed up for the nationwide castings in Russia to be part of the ensemble – and not just to go to work in the morning to come to the set, to play his scenes and to go home in the evening. Filming took place mainly on the 12,000 square meter set of the scientific institute largest film set in all of Europe, which also became the actors’ hometown (!) for three years.

A world of its own, its own society, emerged on the gigantic sitethat lived isolated from the outside world in a kind of simulation that was maintained for three years and reconstructed the era of Lew “Dau” Landau between 1938 and 1968.

A total of 700 hours of film were made during this period – and not digitally, but on real film (35mm). Cinematographer Jürgen Jürges (“Funny Games”) even developed a new lighting system for the “Never Sleeping” set and was even awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlinale 2020 for his “outstanding artistic achievement.” Moreover, children were also born during filming – yes, you read that right.

As understandable as this may seem given the short-term foundation of our own society – and at least there are explicit scenes in several “DAU” films where the actors are clearly actually having intercourse and not just “acting” it. that’s how incredible the mix of real life and fiction ultimately is. But it is precisely those who make ‘DAU’ so much more than just a film or a cinematic universe.

If this has got you curious, you can check out the “DAU” films stream as video-on-demand on the art project’s official website …

…but at the same time we must also warn: The faint of heart should consider whether ‘DAU’ is something for them because of the sometimes difficult to digest, often sadistic and often questionable images. Anyone who is tough can look forward to a unique experience that simultaneously involves so many damn strong thoughts that the world of Lew Landau can simply fascinate you. And long after the credits of the 13th film have rolled.

“DAU”: A special kind of shocker

One thing you need to know in advance: The “DAU” films are only available in Russian (don’t worry, there are subtitles) and do not operate according to the rules of traditional cinema. Means: Be prepared not to experience a classic story, but instead to immerse yourself as a silent spectator in a parallel world that is often just as quiet – but when it gets loud, a veritable pit of hell opens up for the audience who descends into the darkest depths of the human soul. Because ‘DAU’ not only takes a frightening look at the past, but in many ways also holds up a mirror to current society – and thus to a certain extent also predicts a (dark) future.

So went “DAU. Natasha” not only took part in the race for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2020, but also immediately caused horror in many places. Actress Hanna Schygulla, who was originally going to dub the main character, who was tormented and tortured by the KGB, for the German version, left the performance. And in Russia there was even a ban on performances. Because Ilya Khrzhanovsky does not shy away from portraying the above-mentioned atrocities as powerfully as they are provocative, while not only exceeding the boundaries of good taste.

Nevertheless, The movie ‘Natasha’ is an excellent introduction to the ‘DAU’ universe. Because it does something to you, it not only arouses anger or even hatred, but also takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride – even if at the end one punch in the stomach follows another. While other films like “DAU. Nikita Tanya,” in which one of the institute’s scientists is visited by his family, is much shorter, but these shorter “DAU” bites can also feel quite long. Because it is not always easy to delve into the (emotional) world of the protagonists, if you even want to. Even 90 minutes can be miserable.

In addition, the Natasha story is also a good preparation for what, in my opinion, is not only the most special and best film in the series, but also the most difficult to digest (although some ‘DAU’ films and series are not yet available) :

“DAU. degeneration“ is over six hours of absolute take-no-prisoners cinema – and for us, it’s one of the most disturbing films of all time. The gigantic work of 369 minutes tells about the inhuman attempts to create super soldiers using scientific experiments and takes all the time in the world to illustrate what the events bring about in the minds of everyone involved.

From a conceptual perspective it is simply extremely well thought out on numerous levels and from an ethical perspective it raises some of the most uncomfortable questions you could possibly ask: “Degeneration” mutates, especially in the second half, into a beast of a film, in pure chaos that belies the audience and inevitably crashes into a destructive chasm from which there seems to be no escape for the protagonists, the audience and ultimately humanity.

More than just entertainment

After being seduced by the world of “DAU” in the spring of 2020, one of the chapters published so far is still on my watchlist – possibly just because I know it would be over, at least for now. It is currently unclear when the next films and even series will be released. At this point one thing must be said: This streaming tip is by no means intended to promise a series of masterpieces. Some parts like “Degeneration” and “Natasha” are great, if difficult to digest, cinema, while there is a lot more idleness, especially in the shorter films. But that’s not what it’s about in the end.

Because even if Ilya Khrzhanovsky puts the emotional world of his audience through the meat grinder, the fascination of “DAU” consists above all in raising questions whose right (?) answers could philosophize for hours.: How far can film and art in general go? What boundaries should be set for her? And who is responsible for determining this? After the ‘DAU’ films released so far, we only know one thing: creator Khrzhanovsky doesn’t care what the answers to all these questions are.