Meinhard Neumann is a reclusive construction worker who doesn’t feel at
home anywhere. That is why he doesn’t hesitate at all and accepts an offer
to join a company of German workers who are hired to build a hydroelectric
power plant in a remote part of Bulgaria. It is here in the Bulgarian-Greek
border area where people best understand each other without words that
Meinhard suddenly feels an urge to belong and decides to follow that urge
even at the cost of antagonising his fellow countrymen who view the local
people rather dismissively.
Respected German directress and screenwriter Valeska Grisebach has made
a subtle character study on modern Europe with some western elements
that are used here primarily to play havoc with the viewer’s expectations.
The picture examines important contemporary issues such as cultural
differences within Europe, economic migration and integration and, last but
not least, seeking one’s own identity.
Western
Western
- Year:
- 2017
- Runtime:
- 119
- Country:
- Germany, Bulgaria, Austria
- Director:
- Valeska Grisebach
- Screenplay:
- Valeska Grisebach
- Dir. of Photography:
- Bernhard Keller
- Editor:
- Bettina Böhler
- Cast:
- Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Frangova, Vyara Borisova, Kevin Bashev
- Production:
- Komplizen Film
- Sales:
- Film Boutique, FILM EUROPE MEDIA COMPANY (Slovak Distributor)
- Festivals:
- Cannes 2017, Art Film Fest Košice 2017 (Best Director), Nowe horyzonty 2017 (Grand Prix, FIPRESCI Award)
Schedule:
12.11.2017
20:00
Kino Lumière (K2)
15.11.2017
19:00
Kino Mier Senec
About the Director:
Valeska Grisebach
(1968, Bremen, Federal Republic of Germany) majored in German studies
and philosophy at universities in Berlin, Munich and Vienna and later
completed her studies of film directing in Vienna. Her graduation film,
Be My Star (Mein Stern, 2001), brought her a nomination for Adolf Grimme Award
in 2002 and the FIPRESCI Award at the Toronto IFF. Her second motion picture,
Longing (Sehnsucht, 2006), was chosen for the main competition at Berlinale.
Western (2017) is her third feature-length film.