animation & interactive media
the John Bird award

sponsored by

cinemedia

1999

"Opera originated as a publicly accessible form of music theatre in the early 17th Century. It was defined as combining ̉the visual, aural and performing arts into one elaborate unity". "Auslaender und Staatenlose" explores this same formula, but it does so within the context of the Web. Its 'stage' is defined by way of a two-way interaction with its audience via the Web browser. Translated as foreign and stateless person, "Auslaender und Staatenlose" explores cultural dislocation in the 20th Century. The opera intertwines the phenomenon of refugee culture and transmigration with that of the my own direct experiences and of the stories authored by my grandmother, Elena Garton. Elena fled Russia at head of the Russian Revolution. She settled in the former Yugoslavia where she worked as a nurse and playwright. There she met Andre Garton, a guard of the Red Army. They had two sons, Alex and Igor. The Soviet Union was never far behind. Elena feared for her sons and headed for Central Europe where they found themselves amidst Nazis, Cossacks and countless refugees. "Auslaender" takes its inspiration from their struggle, their will to survive and their quest for freiheit, for freedom."

Andrew Garton
http://www.toysatellite.com.au/auslander/

This award was
presented by Jenifer Hooks,
Executive Director of Cinemedia,
24th August 1999