Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is the happiest woman in the world. Weightless, she doesn’t have to have to bear the same burdens, passed on from generation to generation, as women living under the force of gravity. She doesn’t have to wash dishes in space, cook for the family, or hang laundry. The women known in Italian as badante find themselves in the opposite position: full-time caretakers who care for others, including the ill or disabled, at the expense of their self-care. Is gravity merely a physical phenomenon, or do social, psychological and political aspects play a role? Estonian artist Kristina Norman confronts gravity with the stories of Ukrainian badante, migrant workers who care for Italian grandmothers and grandfathers hundreds of kilometres away from their own homes. Norman’s multimedia documentary performance is an intimate and sensitive experience. Everyday heroines are shown with total authenticity. Each woman is herself and each struggles with the uncompromising weight of gravity.

The performance will be followed by a moderated discussion.

Author, performance: Kristina Norman

Dramaturgy: Laur Kaunissaare

Camera: Erik Norkroos

Choreographic consultation: Joanna Kalm, Karolin Poska

Music: Jēkabs Nīmanis

Light: Oliver Kulpsoo

Other contributors: Isadora Angelini, Ivana Abbondanza, Halina Fomiceva, Liubov Sandulovych, Nataliya Sandu, Victoria Bilivska, Mariia Filonenko, Mayya Romashchenko, Rina Pancaldi

Special thanks: Piersandra di Matteo, Cosetta Nicolini, Maria Rita Palumbo, Anna Tomesani, Mariya Fedoryshyn, Meelika Ebrok, Meelis Muhu

Translation: Maarja Kangro, Tom Karik, Pearu Helenurm

Photography: Epp Kubu, Erik Norkroos

Supported by: Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Ministry of Culture of Estonia

Coproduction: Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Santarcangelo festival, New Theatre Institute of Latvia, Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione/Atlas of Transitions Biennale project Create to Connect -> Create to Impact supported by the EU

Presentation at the Bazaar Festival in Prague is supported by the Ministry of Culture Estonia and the Embassy of the Estonian Republic.

Running time: 90 min

Language: English + CZ subtitles

Kristina Norman is an Estonian artist, whose work ranges from video installation to performance. The centrepoint of her research is collective memory and the fine line between the personal and public in the context of the politics of the body and of being. She has twice represented Estonia at the Venice Biennale, most recently in 2022 with the project Orchidelirium Expanded. Norman & Supriyanto, which reflects on the legacies of colonialism from an Eastern European perspective.