Have you ever felt so down that you wished there was another planet you could escape to? This is the idea behind Planet HORA, an intriguing science fiction film from the Swiss theatre company Theater HORA, which features performers with cognitive impairment.

Two workers are fed up with the drudgery of their workday and book an intergalactic holiday. They discover planets that are very different from our own and others that are quite similar—peopled with bureaucrats, philosophers, workers or creatures that have better things to do than work. There is the “time planet”, the “machine planet”; there are humans, robots and other fantastic creatures.

Planet HORA uses the conventions of science fiction in a unique way to explore different universes and also to give us a fresh perspective on our own world — considering what it is that causes people to be excluded or underestimated. The film is a unique take on a beloved genre that draws on classic films while giving us a new understanding of space and time travel.


*Supported by Pro Helvetia Shanghai, Swiss Arts Council