Comics: Retelling the Story of Pölsler’s The Wall from the Perspective of the Dog
Julian Pölsler’s well-known movie The Wall (2012), based on the homonymous novel by Austrian writer Marlen Haushofer, tells the story of a female survivor who is separated from the rest of the world by an invisible wall during her vacation in the Austrian Alps. As she is cut off from all human contacts, Lynx, a dog, becomes her closest companion. After three years of total isolation, the female survivor begins her report, describing her survival and her special relationship with her animal companion who is later shot by a mysterious man.
While the film is narrated from the perspective of the human, the individual student groups were assigned the task to create their own comic book of The Wall, retelling the survival story from the perspective of the dog.
Team 1: The group’s comic “A Path to Companionship” describes the special bond between Lynx and the female survivor from the perspective of the dog. After some time of familiarization, Lynx accepts the woman as his new owner and they begin to share a special bond.
Team 2: Their cartoon collage “Lynx: Light of the Alps” changes the plot of the original story and creates an entire new narrative. After the emergence of the mysterious wall, Lynx and the woman remain together for some time, until the woman dies. Left alone by his owner, Lynx, the domestic dog, regains his animalistic character when he decides to live free from human ownership.
Team 3: The team’s comic “Die Perspektive eines Hundes” (From the Perspective of a dog) retells the original story from the eyes of the dog. As the team ascribed agency to Lynx, their work shows his growing affection for the female survivor up until his selfless death.
Team 4: Their hand drawn comic “Lynx Unleashed” focuses on the dog’s moods compared to the feelings of the woman. Unlike the female protagonist, who goes through a rollercoaster of emotions after the emergence of the wall, Lynx does not lose his positivity, as his role as companion animal remains unchanged.
Team 5: In their cartoon “Loyal” the group retells Lynx’s last day before his sudden death from his perspective. Unlike humans, Lynx does not fear death and accepts the end of his life as naturally given.
Team 6: The group’s manga-style comic “What Lynx Us Together” reflects on the co-evolution of the female survivor and Lynx. Despite their unfamiliarity in the beginning, the human and the animal grow closer and closer, forming an almost equal companionship in which Lynx becomes essential for the woman’s survival.
Team 7: The team’s story “A Man’s Best Friend” alters the plot of the original story. After the emergence of the wall, Lynx meets another dog who also lives in isolation with its human owner. Unlike Lynx, the other dog though has a miserable life, as his owner treats him poorly. Despite this maltreatment, the other dog remains with its owner, as it is human presence alone that brings the dog happiness.
Team 8: The group’s cartoon “Sentience” describes Lynx’s encounter with a coyote after the occurrence of the wall. Despite their species’ relation, Lynx, the domestic animal, does not find fulfillment in his life apart from humans and returns to the female survivor.
Here is the link to the first project: Eliminating Food Waste: Ideas for Sustainable Grocery Stores