The world is in chaos. Deep in the waters of Slovenia, ancient spirits are stirring.

Zasledovanje tells the story of water spirits living deep in the mountains of Slovenia who, perturbed by the chaos of the world, decide to set out on a hunt. An eclectic group of seven — singers, dancers, actors — move through thermal springs, caves, rivers, gorges, waterfalls, lakes, in search of energies and hidden stories. In the final act, an elusive figure emerges out of the shadows of the forest. Her presence draws the spirits westward towards the open sea where the light shifts and the horizon breathes.

TOTAL THEATER

Zasledovanje weaves live singing, dance, spoken text and film into a continuous experience. Performers dressed in white become screens: films of actual Slovenian water bodies are projected directly onto their bodies, dissolving the boundary between the human and the elemental. Each of the ten scenes unfolds in a real place: Škocjan Caves, Wild Lake, Soča River, Lake Bohinj, Moon Bay ... landscapes that are not sets but living presences.

The music weaves live voices (mezzo soprano and tenor/baritone) with pre-recorded tracks of chamber orchestra, singers, and recorded sounds of the water landscapes. The libretto is in Slovenian — a language that mirrors the musicality of the waters. The soundscape is designed to embody nature and physically embrace the audience.

ONE ARTIST. ONE VISION.

I am Ann Papoulis — composer, director and choreographer of Zasledovanje, based in Paris and member of La Maison des Artistes. Every element of this work emerges from my artistic hand: the music, the staging, the movement, the cinematic language. This is a singular vision that has been growing, scene by scene over the past year.

I have spent that year — without any budget — traveling through the Karst Region of western Slovenia, filming, sensing the nature, building the musical and cinematic scenario, and assembling a Slovenian creative team of exceptional caliber: singers, actors, dancers, dramaturg, musical arranger and co-sound designer. I am currently in negotiation with an underground theater at the Ljubljana Opera House for a co-production, with the premiere planned for December 2027. I am in early preparations for the organization of an international tour of the work.

This project has a life. What it needs now is time and resources to grow.

WHAT YOUR SUPPORT MAKES POSSIBLE

All funds go to Ann Papoulis to cover development costs: score preparation, further filming, studio recording sessions, film editing, and travel between Paris and Ljubljana. Every contribution goes immediately into the creation of the work, made by a single pair of hands.

JOIN THE INNER CIRCLE

Everyone who contributes to this campaign will be invited to join Zasledovanje — Inner Circle, a private community on both Instagram and Facebook where I will regularly share glimpses of the work as the opera evolves — films, images, music as it is written. You will follow the work from its earliest stages through to the premiere, watching scenes take shape. This is not a newsletter. It is a window into a world in the making, shared with the people who made it possible.

Zasledovanje is a hunt for what is ancient, elemental, and still alive beneath the noise of the world. Come with us.