Penissimo is a cheerful and light-hearted, but also particularly meaningful documentary. Interviews, photographs of artworks, but also excerpts from the first erotic films made back in the silent era compose a lively and colourful fresco of “one of the two halves of the sky”.
Adventures of a Mathematician meticulously analyses the most important professional achievements of young mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, drawing a multifaceted and honest portrait not only of its protagonist, but also of a crucial period in world history.
We do not see in Louis van Beethoven a composer at work. We do not witness the creative process that led to the birth of some of his most famous compositions. Not the end result, but what, fundamentally, led to it. An undoubtedly winning idea, which, however, made Niki Stein’s feature film an excessively dispersive work, in which the director himself seems too cold towards his protagonist and his works.
Topics such as death, life and the time we have left are the absolute protagonists. Our life often depends on how we ourselves deal with it. One Left by Sebastian Doringer is a hymn to life, a message of hope that comes to us like a fresh spring breeze.
Good feelings and stories with happy endings are always appreciated. Especially at Christmas time. And although Das Glück ist ein Vogerl does not stand out for special insights or directorial virtuosity, it works above all because of the excellent performances of the entire cast.
The flat in which the two protagonists live is the perfect setting. A small, sometimes cramped environment. The ideal environment for all kinds of paranoia. The silence in the house, the night, the soft lighting do the rest. And the director in The Washing Machine showed above all that he knows how to deal with space and how to convey the right emotions perfectly – thanks also to an excellent cast. Winner of the Österreichischer Filmpreis 2021 for Best Short Film.
Glory to the Queen takes us by the hand into a world we have often heard about, but which we are not completely familiar with. A charming, extremely fascinating and all-female world. Not one, but four contemporary stories that immediately give us a welcome feeling of optimism.
In Madison, the Tyrolean mountains provide the perfect setting for wild bike rides, tortuous curves and steep descents. And the director’s camera handles the space perfectly, moves with agility along the slopes and trails, and gives us welcome adrenalin-fuelled moments. At the Diagonale 2021.
Mehrunisa is the story of a battle. A dream that comes true and two people who will see their lives finally change forever. And above all, two different generations who discover they have much more in common than it might initially seem. At the Diagonale 2021.
Hands kneading dumplings, an entire family gathered around the table to cook, food being prepared with love and bringing everyone together. Just as oriental cinema has always shown us. And again, views of Shanghai and Beijing from above – cities that have suffered much over the years and where the consequences of war are still evident – but also the wide streets and parks of the Austrian capital. All this is Weiyena – Ein Heimatfilm. At the Diagonale 2021.