Drama in Every Pixel
Cult Thrillers Reinterpreted
Sacha Goldberger’s project “The Lady Does Not Vanish” represents a visual examination of gender roles. Rich in detail and infused with a great deal of drama, the photographer has reinterpreted iconic scenes from Hitchcock classics by reversing gender roles. This opens up new perspectives that make paradigm shifts visible and encourage us to question our understanding of the roles occupied by men and women.
Photographic Approach
For the most part, Hitchcock films feature women as victims who are frightened and shocked by the actions of the male protagonists. Brought up in a family of strong women, at some point Sasha Goldberger asked himself what these films would have been like if the cult director had been a feminist.
In his series “The Lady Does Not Vanish”, Goldberger casts a feminist eye over the key scenes in Hitchcock’s most famous works. The photographer consciously selects iconic scenes, which are full of drama and have influenced him personally, and reinterprets them with his unconventional imagery.
Meticulous Planning
In total, Goldberger created 12 sets in studio and 20 sets outdoors together with a team of 65 people, 5 dogs, and 2 cats. He left nothing to chance in his quest to come as close as possible to the original imagery used in Hitchcock’s films. The actors, style of the era, décor and accessories, hairdos, makeup, and, of course, the photographic equipment were very carefully selected for each image.
Carefully Considered Equipment
For the elaborate series, Goldberger used both digital and analog M-Cameras as well as a variety of M-Lenses. Depending on the desired mood and atmosphere, he picked suitable equipment to recreate each scene down to the finest cinematic detail to obtain the sought-after look.
The M11 won him over due to its high resolution and excellent image quality, which are essential for the large format prints that he produces. With his analog M6 and by carefully choosing his film, he consciously influences the effects of his images and the visual impact of every scene.
The Photographer
The photographer Sacha Goldberger was born in 1968 in Paris and began his career as an artistic director in advertising. After studying at the Gobelins Photography School in Paris, he published several successful books, reaching a wider audience for the first time with his series about his grandmother “Mamika”. With elaborately staged projects like “Super Flemish”, he brings visual worlds to life with cinematic scope. Goldberger’s works have been exhibited internationally, with some presented in breathtaking formats.
The results of the series are surprising; the sets are very similar to those in the Hitchcock films – even if it is ultimately the human relationships that interest us most in this series.
Sacha Goldberger
