DocPoint 2020: KRISTINA NORMAN "Lighter Than Woman"

"Lighter Than Woman“ is a poetical-documentary performance about overcoming the gravity of life in direct and indirect meaning. Norman observes Italy's only female astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti as a person who has overcome gravity literally by becoming weightless in outer space. In parallel Norman looks at Ukrainian migrant labourers who live in Italy and who have become caregivers for Italian elders and who carry their burden of final years and experience the heaviness literally by lifting them. Nevertheless, these women don’t crumble under the weight of others' lives. On the contrary, they – even without outer space – can overcome gravity. How it is possible and what role work plays in the happiness of human life are the questions examined in Norman’s piece, where documental research, poetical parallels and gravity defying gaze to the difficulties of human life are combined.

Trained as an artist, Kristina Norman is active both in the field of contemporary art and documentary filmmaking. When addressing issues of collective memory and forgetting, and the memorial uses of public space, she often searches for ways to physically and symbolically intervene in the environments in focus. While many of her art projects are presented in the form of video installations, site-specificity and performativity are of great importance in these works.
She represented Estonia at Venice Biennale in 2009. Some of Norman’s more recent works are dedicated to the issues of migration, focussing on the aspects of memory and public representation.

By and with: Kristina Norman Damaturgy: Laur Kaunissaare
Camera, photos, live execution: Erik Norkroos
Choreographic advice: Joanna Kalm, Karolin Poska
Music: Jēkabs Nīmanis
Light: Oliver Kulpsoo
With the participation of: Isadora Angelini, Ivana Abbondanza, Halina Fomiceva, Liubov Sandulovych, Nataliya Sandu, Victoria Bilivska, Mariia Filonenko, Mayya Romashchenko, Rina Pancaldi
Thank You: Piersandra Di Matteo, Cosetta Nicolini, Maria Rita Palumbo, Anna Tomesani, Mariya Fedoryshyn, Meelika Ebrok, Meelis Muhu
Translations: Maarja Kangro, Tom Karik, Pearu Helenurm
With the support of: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Ministry of Culture of Estonia Co-production: Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Santarcangelo Festival, New Theatre Institute of Latvia, Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione / Atlas of Transitions Biennale
Inserted into the project Create to Connect -> Create to Impact
Co-financed by the program Creative Europe of the European Union

Duration 90'
Performance on 30th of January in in Estonian with English subtitles and on 31st of January in English with Estonian subtitles.

Used video exerpts: “Where do astronauts sleep?” European Space Agency, ESA 08.06.2015; “SkyLab Circular Track” 03.03.2010; NASA; -“Astronauta Samantha Cristoforetti –Missione Futura 42 su ISS” Canale25 24.11.2014; “Samantha Cristoforetti tours the ISS for the last time (11.06.2015)” Astro Enzo 11.06.2016