Cyber Cyrano

Constantly online, sharing everything, telling everyone…Familiarity with social networks is today an obvious necessity. Yet the sheer limitless possibilities of the Internet tend to mask the risks. The furore over ratings, the necessity to be part of it,  and its anonymity all open new dimensions. That is the message of the Hungarian author István Tasnádi. Based on a true story which had disastrous consequences, he describes a modern variation of Cyrano de Bergerac: though his »Cyrano« is a 15 year-old girl writing her »poetry» on line.  

Susi is besotted with Matti, one of her classmates, but unfortunately he is not so keen on wall flowers… He finds the newcomer to the class, Heni, much more interesting–she’s pretty, cool, self-confident and soon starts to flirt fairly heavily with Matti. Susi has got to do something and manages to arrange for Heni to meet Viktor. He is the son of a diplomat who lives abroad and spends his time sailing and riding. Heni falls head over heels in love and moreover he is perceptive and the only one who understands how she feels! The online relationship of the couple deepens and over time Heni completely loses interest in Matti. So she tries more and more to be with Susi, who is also a social network friend of Viktor. Susi enjoys the attention she attracts by being with her cool friend. But is Viktor really what he seems? Matti starts to question what is really going on. It even begins to dawn on Heni that in her wonderful online world of perfectly touched-up photos the real person is not the one you are expecting….

»Cyber Cyrano« explores the internet as if it were a playing field: an interface between reality and fiction. What damage can virtual creatures cause? How strongly intertwined are reality and the virtual world? How easy is it to fool people on social networks? And what happens when players are (or are not…) sacrificed?

(Translated from the German by Mike Mackenzie-Smith)

Duration: approx. 60 mins / no intermission