There's breathtaking landscape as in any Heimatfilm. There are likeable characters, too. The idyllic scenery is overshadowed by adultery and incest -- but that might be kind of okay, as Paul suggests at the end.
Steinbichler wrote and directed this movie for graduating from a German film academy. Two famous actors, Bierbichler (mainly plays Brecht) and Sukowa (worked with Fassbinder), obviously believed in the script and gave him a chance. The lead role of Lene was given to Johanna Wokalek, a fresh face to me (though IMDB says the played in Aimée und Jaguar). She is absolutely enchanting, so I don't know what to write about her without making a fool of myself.
Facing the truth and trying to cope with it -- possibly even in a humorous way -- this is what this movie is about, and I think I've learned a bit from it.
After Siebtelbauern (1998), this is only the second Heimatfilm that I intensely liked. Everybody seemed to be happy when this genre died in the 60ies. A new generation of film makers has given the much-hated Heimatfilm a new meaning. Thank you for that!
Steinbichler wrote and directed this movie for graduating from a German film academy. Two famous actors, Bierbichler (mainly plays Brecht) and Sukowa (worked with Fassbinder), obviously believed in the script and gave him a chance. The lead role of Lene was given to Johanna Wokalek, a fresh face to me (though IMDB says the played in Aimée und Jaguar). She is absolutely enchanting, so I don't know what to write about her without making a fool of myself.
Facing the truth and trying to cope with it -- possibly even in a humorous way -- this is what this movie is about, and I think I've learned a bit from it.
After Siebtelbauern (1998), this is only the second Heimatfilm that I intensely liked. Everybody seemed to be happy when this genre died in the 60ies. A new generation of film makers has given the much-hated Heimatfilm a new meaning. Thank you for that!
