Rhabarber Boy

The story is outlined at the location of the film´s initial sequence: a rhubarb bed has become a jungle, dragonflies and silhouettes of pterosaurians are seen in the sky; in the midst is a boy, naked except for a loincloth, cutting up his wild game. Far from any sort of civilization, the lone boy hunts not only for himself, but also to appease the greedy pterosaurians day after day. Other elements of the narrative are a golden cigarette and a collage made of torn-up comics, which he keeps in his dwelling. As central motifs, they seem to puzzle the boy, a riddle he seeks to solve. One night, the boy discovers an odd trio in a hole in the ground: an Indian, a superheroine, and a blue bear. His initial joy over the comic-strip characters does not last long, since the mood in the pit increasingly takes on threatening aspects: the Indian changes into a howling wolf, the superheroine calls out as if issuing a challenge to battle, and the little blue bear discovers its sexuality. Together, the three hunt dragonflies and begin killing them so brutally that the boy must ultimately intervene. He becomes active, and the original, paradisiacal situation of the first sequence seems reestablished. However, the circumstances have undergone a fundamental alteration.

Braun´s filmic video installation Rhabarber Boy is a reflection on a child´s imagination and raises the issue of moral responsibility in the entertainment industry. (Kristina Preis)