A Different Man

In his second collaboration with British actor Adam Pearson, Aaron Schimberg again asks us to reconsider the relationship between mind and body. Edward (Sebastian Stan) is a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis. Awkward and depressive, Edward appears to have allowed his appearance to determine the parameters of his life. After meeting next-door neighbour Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), Edward undergoes a radical procedure that alters his appearance. What at first seems like liberation soon becomes an insoluble identity crisis, one exacerbated by his friendship with Oswald (Pearson), whose own physical condition hasn’t prevented him from leading a fulfilling life. A DIFFERENT MAN is a jet-black satire that covers an impressive amount of territory: disability, standards of attractiveness, liberal taboos and the nature of performance, both in theatre and everyday life. As Edward quite literally “loses face”, becoming incapable of occupying his own life, Oswald’s charm and charisma suggest that Edward’s inhibitions were always more than skin deep. Stan won the Best Actor prize at the Berlinale for his complex, humane performance. (Michael Sicinski)

In the presence of Aaron Schimberg.

Aaron Schimberg: GO DOWN DEATH (2013), CHAINED FOR LIFE (2018)