OBSESSED WITH LIGHT
A Film by Sabine Krayenbühl & Zeva Oelbaum

Kinostart Schweiz: 17. April 2025

Special Screenings:

10. April 2025 - "Jeudi du Doc" Screening Cinémathèque 

15. April 2025 -Stattkino Luzern 

16. April 2025 - Filmpodium Zürich 

21. April 2025 - Stattkino Luzern 

 

OBSESSED WITH LIGHT pulls back the curtain on Loïe Fuller (1862-1928), a wildly original performer and pioneer of modern dance. Creating a dialogue between the past and the present, the documentary delves into the astonishing influence Fuller's work has on contemporary culture including artists like Taylor Swift, Bill T. Jones, Shakira and William Kentridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers among many others. Fuller developed a completely new kind of spectacle which combined dance, fabric and movement. It's about a woman who became famous on her own terms – unapologetic about her body type and open about her sexuality.

Obsessed with Light is a feature-length documentary film that tells the story of Loïe Fuller (1862-1928) who broke new ground in dance, stage lighting and design. Born in the Midwest, Fuller moved to Paris in 1892 to premiere her new dance at the Folies Bergère and became an overnight sensation. What she created was far more abstract and complex than anything that had been seen before. Her patented innovations in lighting techniques and stage design are the forerunners of some of today’s most elaborate multimedia productions. Ahead of her time in recognizing the value of her work, Fuller was a fierce defender of her ownership rights. She launched Isadora Duncan’s career, promoted Auguste Rodin’s sculpture in the U.S. and consulted Marie Curie and Thomas Edison to make her costumes glow. She inspired artists and filmmakers of her day such as Picasso, Whistler, Rodin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Alice Guy Blaché, the Lumière Brothers and more recently, some of the most celebrated performers and artists of our time.

Openly gay, Fuller never conformed to society’s expectations. She collaborated with her long-time partner Gabrielle Bloch on numerous projects including experimental films. Fuller took a degree of agency over her life and career that would be remarkable today and was almost unbelievable for her time. She was unapologetic about her appearance, sexuality, ambition, personal limitations and humble beginnings. Although largely forgotten, Fuller was one of the most visually daring individuals of the early 20th century. Obsessed with Light reveals how this trailblazer’s influence has extended into our own cultural landscape in astonishing and unexpected ways. In 1928, Fuller died of breast cancer and was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

2023 | USA | 90 Min. | Dokumentarfilm

Dialog: Englisch

Subtitles: English, French, Italian, German

Verleih: ZAS Film AG | Weltvertrieb: Autlook

Festivals
Rome Film Fest 2023
Doc NYC 2023
Hamptons Doc Fest 2023

Credits:

Regie: Sabine Krayenbühl und Zeva Oelbaum
Produktion: Sabine Krayenbühl und Zeva Oelbaum
Koproduzent: Christian Popp
Ausführende Produzenten: Ruedi Gerber, Elisabeth Chandler, Denise Benmosche, Susan Margolin
Kamera: Bob Richman