The Echo Chamber

Die Liebe schmerzt den Musikproduzenten Leo ebenso wie sein chronisches Rückenleiden. Gerade hat er eine Überdosis Opioide überlebt und versucht nun, sein Leben ohne Sucht neu zu ordnen. Aber das Verhältnis zu seiner Partnerin Anne, die Mitschuld an seiner Abhängigkeit trägt, ist seither nachvollziehbar gestört. Ein wichtiger Auftrag für eine renommierte Sängerin sorgt da für willkommene Ablenkung. Während Vergangenheit und Gegenwart fließend ineinandergreifen, rotiert das gebrochene Paar zwischen Intimität und Entfremdung, Fürsorge und Kontrolle – alles im warmen Ambiente von Leos beeindruckend geräumiger Wohnung. (Pamela Jahn)

In Anwesenheit von Andrea Pallaoro.

THE ECHO CHAMBER opens with a mid-afternoon party: intoxicated by substances and music alike, our hero Leo dances in a trance, sweeping up his partner Anne in a frenzy of artificial bliss. But the musician’s merciless addiction to painkillers takes its toll, leaving Leo almost dead from an overdose. What follows is a journey in which inspiration, pain and the possibility of love redefine the characters’ lives. THE ECHO CHAMBER is a delicate, poignant drama where addiction and desire collide, leaving behind emotional and physical ruins that continue to determine the protagonists’ paths. As Leo attempts to heal, a central role is played by Ava (a remarkable Susan Sarandon), a musical icon who accompanies Leo’s creative process, allowing him to regain strength and self-confidence. Adapted from a screenplay by late Italian maestro Bernardo Bertolucci, the film echoes many of his later obsessions: consuming relationships, co-dependency and the solitude inherent to creativity. With admirable directorial skill, Andrea Pallaoro succeeds in bringing the entire cast into harmony with this distinctly minimalistic Bertoluccian atmosphere. Yet THE ECHO CHAMBER remains a resolutely contemporary work, embracing a legacy without betraying the spirit of the present times. (Rebecca De Pas)

Andrea Pallaoro: WUNDERKAMMER (2008, K), MEDEAS (2013), HANNAH (2017), MONICA (2022)