SHORT DESCRIPTION:

GLOW evolves around the relationship of two women, a fashion pioneer who discovered the streetwalker Irena Staub aka Lady Shiva. Lady Shiva is today considered one of the great icons of the turbulent era between 1968 and the late 80s. Thanks to her aura and self-mystification, many doors opened to her. She became a successful muse, model and performer. Despite this career jump, Irene remained a tightrope walker between the different worlds. She also pursued her greatest dream to become a singer with a flying start in an underground band. But Lady Shiva lived life in the fast lane. She died far too young under circumstances that were never fully cleared up. With her companions, we trace her life during a vibrant time that kindles a yearning and provokes until today. GLOW takes us on a rebel‘s odyssey in search of identity, telling of an irrepressible desire for freedom in all its beauty and destructive force – and a stirring friendship and love.

FESTIVALS & RELEASE

World Premiere Zurich Film Festival 2017
National Theatrical Release December 2017 – February 2018
Broadcast Germany & Switzerland 3 Sat, DVD and Streaming Releases 2020
US Theatrucak Release June 2023

PRESS

“In her sometimes almost overwhelmingly beautifully staged film “Glow”, the Zurich director Gabriel Baur is consistently reversing the conventional life dramaturgy of Lady Shiva.”
“In that sense, “Glow“ is indeed not an explanatory documentary but a kind of mirror.”
“Here is no tragic fate being traced, but marveled at contradictions and beauty.“
Radio SRF 2, CONTEXT, Arts in Conversation: (…) “GLOW” Michael Sennhauser

“Gabriel Baur created not only a glowing, modern as well as human portrait of this extraordinary appearance and diva, but also an image of the time period from the late sixties till the eighties.”
CINEMAN, Rolf Breiner

“Director Gabriel Baur has succeeded in creating an exciting, atmospherically realized portrait of the 80s icon Irene Staub.”
“Hard cuts meet loud punk-rock tones, and original recordings from the 1970s mix with emotional interviews from the here and now. Zurich icons like Ursula Rodel chat out of the box. A wonderful film that lets you look into the rough past of Zurich.”
BLICK AM ABEND, Lukas Rüttimann, Carolina Lermann

„Visually powerful, director Gabriel Baur tells in „Glow” of the life of Lady Shiva, aka Irene Staub, who was one of the great icons of the turbulent era between 1968 and the late 1980s.”
TAGES-ANZEIGER, David Sarasin

“And yet, one comes to realize that this woman is elusive. And it is exactly this mystery that puts out her fascination. ”
NZZ am Sonntag, Christian Jungen

“The Swiss filmmaker does not just create a cinematic tribute to one rather provocative personality, but rather puts the Zurich art scene into focus, which attracted international attention during this youth moves time.” onix film gmbh · cineworx gmbh 1 4
PROGRAMMZEITUNG, Kultur im Raum Basel, Nicole Gisler

“(…) the numerous photos that Gabriel Baur often arranges in GLOW as a triptych, multiplication or reflection across the entire width of the canvas, thus letting the pictures speak to each other, creating little stories that, without explanation, can resurrect a world in which everything seemed possible (…) ”
FILM BULLETIN, Tereza Fischer

“At its center is a sensitive, honest and resonant portrait of a special woman: with a provocative and insecure appearance, full of creativity and destructiveness, and a well- shaping past that Baur deliberately blanks out to avoid premature, superficial psychological interpretations of the life-history of Irene Staub alias Lady Shiva.”
der-andere-film.ch, Hanspeter Stalder

“Gabriel Baur (“Venus Boyz”) wants to create not only a tribute to this extraordinary woman with her film, but also a projection screen that invites you to look in the mirror yourself: “Am I alive? Do I draw from the full? Am I taking my chances? Or maybe I do not want that? – And why?”
ARTTV movie of the month

Produced by Gabriel Baur, Kurt Mäder

Associate Producer Patrick Frey

Production: Onix Film  

Supported by:  BAK, Zürcher Filmstiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Kuratorium Kanton Aargau, Kulturförderung Kanton Glarus, Migros Kulturprozent, Stage Pool Focal Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Fondation Suisa, Kulturfonds Suissimage