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Finally back in Graz…
It has been more than two years since Graz made us experience so many new stories and gave us so many unexpected thrills. Yet, even though the pandemic kept us away from our beloved cinemas for a long time, the seventh art has not given up. And the city of Graz has not given up either. And so this Diagonale 2021, which was supposed to take place in March, but was postponed from June 8 to 13 precisely because of the pandemic, presents itself as a welcome breath of fresh air just before the hot summer.
A very special Diagonale 2021, given the conditions in which it takes place. A Diagonale 2021 in which the necessary safety rules will be respected, in order to allow spectators to enjoy their screenings. A Diagonale 2021 that also presents a wide selection of films online (under the label Canale Diagonale), so that everyone can enjoy the festival’s offer, given the limited number of seats in the theatres.
A Diagonale 2021 that, under the artistic direction of Sebastian Höglinger and Peter Schernhuber, promises to be richer and more varied than ever. Indeed, alongside feature films such as Fox in a Hole – directed by Arman T. Riahi and which will open the festival – Mehrunisa by Sandeep Kumar, Quo vadis, Aida? by Jasmila Zbanic (Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film) or the coming-of-age Madison (Kim Strobl), there are just as many documentaries that will introduce us to realities we could not even imagine. These include, for instance, the beautiful Epicentro by Hubert Sauper, Notes from the Underworld by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, but also the tender Eva-Maria by Lukas Ladner or I am the Tigress by Philipp Fussenegger and Dino Osmanovic.
But that’s not all. In addition to the interesting Innovatives Kino section, there is also the nostalgic Sehnsucht 2020/21 – City and Desire and the retrospective Zur Person, this year dedicated to filmmaker Jessica Hausner.
A rich selection of films of all genres, then, together with a series of meetings, debates and seminars complete the rich programme of this long-awaited Diagonale 2021. Despite the difficult times we have experienced and are currently experiencing, then, cinema continues to excite us, and during these days it will be a pleasure to stroll through the streets of the city centre, while moving from one cinema to another. And again this year, as every year, the comfortable halls of the Schubertkino, the Rechbauer Kino, the KIZ Royal, the Annenhof Kino and the large Helmut-List-Halle will accompany us on many surprising journeys, which will finally take place on the big screen.
Cinema Austriaco will, as usual, follow the festival throughout its duration and provide the most comprehensive overview of this important event.
This is it. Finally. Now all we have to do is let ourselves be surrounded by the darkness of the theatre and the images on the screen. Let the magic begin. And especially this year it seems more precious than ever.
Below are the reviews of the films of this Diagonale 2021.
