A mystical visual thriller based on James Krüss’ novel.
What separates us from a beast is laughter. You may know a person by his ability to laugh at the right moment!
Timm Thaler, or the Traded Laughter is based on James Krüss’s novel of the same name, in which the protagonist Timm trades his laughter to a mysterious Baron in return for an ability to win any bet he makes. Can laughter be sold? Can laughter be bought? Can money make you happy? Can you be happy if you cannot laugh? What would you do if one day, you lost your ability to laugh?
Laughter is said to unite people. It liberates. It helps you cope with difficulties. I can laugh, therefore I can think. Once Timm realises that he has sold his soul along with his laughter, he sets forth to find the Baron and get his laugher back, whatever it takes.
Although the novel was written in the 1960s, it still speaks to us today. Times have changed, the global political scene is different, but the essence of human nature is the same. This mystery story filled with hope and disappointment, escape and chase, is one of the most beautiful stories that I know. – Director Taavi Tõnisson
Listen to the music composed for the production by Aleksandr Žedeljov here.
