HOSTEL is a four-episode miniseries conceived as a crossover between a fictitious docu-soap, game show and Kammer- spiel-performance. It takes place in a fully occupied, utterly crammed room in a hostel, which, in addition to the obligatory barren bunk beds and the quoted 'creative design', also contains various fitness & workout tools like exercise balls, yoga mats, step machine and climbing rope. Against the background of increasing day-to-day racism, celebrity cultism, wide- spread stereotyping, postcolonial diversity challenges, and the pressures of almighty economics all on the rise, five preca- riously and flexibly traveling cultural workers of different origin, Apple’s virtual personal assistant, Siri, and several computer-game avatars enter a battle of spoken word, that is largely based on current experiences and dreams of the par- ticipating protagonists. As though partaking in joint exercise, all struggle to have their voices heard, but on the other hand a new kind of alliance, or community is forming itself. Their individual stories circulate permanently among all performers, are recited by someone, to be passed to another person, or an avatar. Fragments of songs, films, and theory are cited, ad- vertising mails integrated into the stories, occasionally interferred by scraps of additional voices – a polyphonic and multi- layered, meta-individual narrative emerges, which irritates clear role attributions and sterotypes, rendering them questionable, without taking the brisance of the individual narratives.

Written, Produced and Directed by Stefan Panhans, 2018
Director of Photography: Lilli Thalgott
Camera Operator Bernese Highlands: Florian Winkler Sound Engineer: Tom Schön
Production Design, Costume & Assistant Director: Andrea Winkler Music & Sound Design: Kirsten Reese
Casting: Stefan Panhans
Dramaturgical Advice: Jelka Plate, Can Rastovic
Production Supervising: Can Rastovic
Editing: Lilli Thalgott
Postproduction: Wolfgang Oelze
Color Grading: Adriel Pfister
Computergame Advice & Special Gaming Footage: Tilman Walther Set Runner & Special Appearance: Kurt Guo
Translation Subtitles: Andrea Winkler
Performing: Serge Fouha, Lisa-Marie Janke, Olivia Hyunsin Kim, Koffi Emile Odoubou, Anne Tismer Avatar Voice: Anne Ratte-Polle
Commisioned by: Edith Russ Haus für Medienkunst, Oldenburg,
Funded by: Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Stiftung Niedersachsen, Poolhaus – Blankenese
Stiftung Additional Music: »BIEST«, written and composed by Jannik Giger
performed by Vera Wahl, Alexandra Müller, Raphael Holenstein, Lukas Rechsteiner