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Five Austrian films we promise won’t make you depressed

With the Viennale film festival opening on Thursday, we thought it’s time to take a look at the best of Austrian cinema.

Published: 19 October 2016 11:43 CEST
Five Austrian films we promise won't make you depressed
Still from the comedy Was hat uns bloß so ruiniert.

You might be under the impression that Austrian films are unrelentingly dark and pessimistic – just take a look at the work of award-winning director Michael Haneke, Ulrich Seidl, and their contemporaries and the themes are pretty sombre – sex tourism, paedophilia, irrational violence, and latent Nazism all crop up.

But it's not all doom and gloom. The Local spoke to Pia Reiser, film critic at FM4 Radio, who gave us her top five non-depressing Austrian films.

“You could also call these five examples that prove that Austria is not just the country of “feel-bad cinema” as the New York Times called it several years ago. Austrian films have been branching out into different genres in the last years. The horror film Goodnight Mommy for example was a huge success among critics.

I think the big problem with Austrian cinema remains that people in Austria are not really interested in Austrian films, mainly I guess because they still suspect that they are all depressing – so many Austrian films are not even given a chance. There was a very lovely and charming love story called Zweisitzrakete that came out some years ago that I am pretty sure would have found its audience if it had been an American indie film. Same thing with the fantastic coming-of-age film Beautiful Girl by Domink Hartl. Two films that are the complete opposite of what most people would expect from a film from Austria – but they will never find out, because they refuse to watch them.

The really depressing thing is not Austrian films, but realising how few people go and see Austrian films. Another point is of course that we don't have any “big stars”. Many people watch films because of a certain actor or actress and Austria has of course several great actors and actresses but no real stars.”

Pia’s five must-see Austrian films:

1. April 2000 (1952)

The World Police and the Global Union arrive in a flying sphere.

A political sci-fi satire and musical commissioned on behalf of the Austrian government with the intention to create a new image for Austria after World War Two. Completely bonkers and therefore worth watching!

2. Muttertag (1992)

Image: Fernsehfilmproduktion Scheiderbauer

To dismiss this as just a cabaret film means you’re completely underestimating this satire. Muttertag is a great farce and essential for an understanding of Vienna. It turns into a kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show, set in a block of council flats. 

3. Tempo (1996)

I haven’t seen this since it came out but I remember how exciting it was to see that Stefan Ruzowitzky’s 'rave film' (yes, that was kind of a genre back then) Tempo was nothing like the rest of Austrian cinema at that time. A fast-edited story about love and drugs with a soundtrack by Kruder & Dorfmeister. The (Austrian) ‘90s in a nutshell.

4. Das finstere Tal (2014)

The Austrian film goes Western. A lone rider, a secluded 19th-century village, a story about revenge.

5. Was hat uns bloß so ruiniert (2016)

Wonderful, non-cynical observations about what happens when hipsters have babies.

FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Published: 4 November 2021 11:13 CET
Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. 

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

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