AN INTERVIEW WITH H.R.H THE PRINCESS OF WALES

The last official interview with H.R.H. the Princess of Wales is transformed into an invisible scenario, in which the actress is exposed in a clinical set. She imitates the gestures and the facial expressions of the Princess of Wales – but all contextual and atmospheric moments of the concrete situation are faded out. In this way an uncommonly direct way of seeing the person and her public exposedness is possible. This way of seeing exposes the interview format as a mass media spectacle. The staged talk becomes visible and readable as a cultural machine, demonstrating the entanglement of each person In the field of publicity and politics.

Das letzte offizielle Interview mit H.R.H. The Princess of Wales wird in dieser Arbeit in ein durchsichtiges Szenario verwandelt, das die Schauspielerin in einem klinischen Set ausstellt. Sie imitiert die Gestik und Mimik der Princess of Wales – jedoch werden dabei alle kontextuellen und atmosphärischen Momente der konkreten Situation ausgeblendet. Auf diese Art und Weise ist ein ungewöhnlich direkter Blick auf die Person und ihre öffentliche Ausgesetztheit möglich, die das Interview als massenmedial verwertbares Spektakel letztendlich (mit)erzeugt. Das inszenierte Gespräch wird als kulturelle Maschine sichtbar und lesbar und verdeutlicht die Verstrickungen der jeweiligen Personen mit den Bereichen Öffentlichkeit und Politik.

Marc Ries, Rheinhard Braun

[ 00:02:43 ]

But then here was a situation that
hadn’t ever happend before in history
in the sense that the media was
everywhere and here was a fairystory
that everybody wanted to work. And so
it was isolating but it was also a
situation where you couldn’t indulge in
feeling sorry for yourself, you had to
either sink or swim. And you had to
learn that very fast. I swam.

[ 00:11:25 ]

[ 00:13:43 ]

I felt compelled to perform. When I say
perform I was compelled to go out and
do my engagements and not let people
down and support them and love them.

[ 00:45:27 ]

I never know where a lens is going to
be. A normal day we’ll be followed by
four cars, we’ll come back to my car
and find six freelance photographers
jumping around me. Some people
would say that a policeman would
make it easier: it doesn’t at all. They’ve
decided that I’m still a project after
fifteen/sixteen years that sells well ...

[ 00:46:54 ]

You could equate it to a soap opera
really: it goes on and on and on and
the story never changes.

[ 00:56:59 ]

I think every strong woman in history
has had to walk down a similar path
and I think its this strength that causes
the confusion and the fear.