SYNOPSIS

Alice (21) and Oscar (19) leave the city, ready to be immersed in the mesmerizing, blissful atmosphere of a rave. From the safety of their intimate friendship, Alice takes the lead and pushes Oscar out of his shyness, towards possible hook-ups with men. But when Oscar actually ventures out on his own and Alice sees him flirting with someone, an overwhelming anxiety creeps up on her, forcing her to face the fear of Oscar not needing her. Somewhere in the darkness of the dance floor, Alice has to find a way to shine some light on her own needs and desires again.

INTENTION

With Push, we want to explore the often overlooked theme of friendship and intimacy. From a queer perspective, we see a growing fluidity in the shape, expectations and boundaries of friendships, and we want to shed light on the fears and insecurities that may come with this.

As we both have experienced the intoxicating and hypnotizing magic of clubbing, where time starts to feel like an expanding space that enhances your desires and sense of self, we felt that a techno rave would create the perfect backdrop for this project.

In this nightly atmosphere, we tell the story of Alice, a young woman facing the unspoken and complex dynamics of her relationship with her best friend Oscar, and how her loving, nurturing, but somewhat dominant position towards him gets challenged when Oscar starts spreading his own wings and does not seem to need her anymore.

In a cinematographic universe similar to that of Sven’s previous short Eden, Push will focus primarily on the physicality and choreography of the characters, and less on the dialogue. In doing so, we want to let their inexplicit, vulnerable relationship come to life in the sensory and physical way that is so inherent to clubbing and raving.