Eklipse (2026) by Manuel Wetscher - Review

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by Manuel Wetscher

grade: 7

Eklipse by Manuel Wetscher has proved to be an exceptionally insightful and mature film. The personal becomes universal. The truth hits us like a punch in the stomach, especially when we are forced to grow up before time. At the 2026 Venice Film Festival, Orizzonti section.

Burning secrets

In summer 1999, an impending solar eclipse was one of the most talked-about events in the newspapers and on television. At the same time, an entire millennium was drawing to a close and people were preparing to embrace every new change with curiosity. Yet, despite this, there were still topics considered taboo that people could not speak about openly, causing confusion and loneliness amongst those who were still too young to understand reality. Young Tomy (played by Moritz Hohlrieder) knows this well. He is, in fact, the protagonist of the feature film Eklipse, the debut feature by director Manuel Wetscher, which premiered at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in the Orizzonti section.

Eklipse, therefore, tells us through images the story of Tomy’s summer and that of his best friend Chris (Finley Brown), who find themselves spending their holidays at the farm of Tomy’s uncle (Hannes Perkmann), whilst the boy’s mother joins them from time to time, although she has to be away frequently, as her husband is in hospital with a mysterious illness. However, when Tomy hears people in the village saying that his father is suffering from the ‘gay disease’, he – not understanding the situation – immediately feels discriminated against and, at the same time, cannot understand his family’s silence.

As we know, during a single summer one can often find oneself facing the ever-traumatic transition from childhood to adulthood. And this delicate phase, as we have seen time and again over the years, seems to work rather well on the movie screen. Similarly, Eklipse (inspired by the real-life experiences of Manuel Wetscher himself, as we can see from various archive footage skilfully integrated into the staging) depicts a very specific historical period, when people were still afraid to even mention diseases such as AIDS, yet at the same time felt they were living through an era of great change.

Particularly interesting in this regard are the very settings chosen by Wetscher to tell us Tomy’s story. The Tyrolean countryside, where his uncle’s farm is situated, seems almost like a timeless place. Or, better still, a place where time seems to have stood still. But the village, as we know, is not far from this idyllic setting, and in a small community, rumours spread like wildfire. Country life, vast expanses of greenery and a cosy home will not be enough to shield the boy from the brutal reality. And in a complicated situation, where even those driven by the best intentions cannot always do the right thing, important secrets are immediately brought to light. Just like during an eclipse, when the moon gradually allows the sun to reappear.

With a directorial approach that makes deeply contemplative moments and silences – which often prevail over words – its hallmark, Eklipse has thus proved to be an exceptionally insightful and mature work, in which the director’s personal experiences have not allowed excessive emotionality to take over the entire film. The personal becomes universal. The truth hits us like a punch in the stomach, especially when we are forced to grow up before time. Yet, at the same time, a marked lyricism helps us realise that, despite everything, it is never too late to rediscover one’s balance and serenity.