Der rote Wal

Isi, a young woman, and her friend Pip are visiting a play with their school class. The production marks an anniversary and explores the history of the RAF terrorist group. On the way to the theatre, Isi is stopped and searched by the police. To calm her nerves, she smokes a joint with Pip. Together, they head inside. The play begins with documentary audio recordings from 1970s West Germany. Isi immerses herself in this world — and the world immerses itself in her.


Act 1
At Whale School, the whale teachers once again tell the story of Leviathan, an ancestor of the whales who, to guarantee peace on Earth, united all power within himself. Gladis Blanca is conspicuous by her absence. On her way to school, she was rammed and injured by a boat, an accident that has happened many times before. Distraught and filled with rage, she swears revenge and vows to sink the largest human ship in history. The underwater tech billionaire Lone offers Gladis his help: 24 hours in human form in exchange for one of her fins. The deadline can only be extended if she succeeds in her revenge or receives the kiss of true love. Gladis agrees. In agony, she begins to transform. In the process, she slips into a space between realities where the documentary recordings reappear. The worlds begin to overlap, and under the sign of the “Red Whale,” Gladis and Isi merge into one.

Act 2
In human form, Isi-Gladis suddenly finds herself in the middle of a demonstration. The police try to restore order with water cannons. Isi- Gladis, however, seeks out the water and in doing so catches the attention of Abad and Ge, who are leading the protest. They pull her out of the water cannon’s spray and take her to their hideout. There, they share their goals. Isi-Gladis, in turn, tells them about her plan to sink the largest human ship.