Based on the novel “Wald” by
DORIS KNECHT
a film by
ELISABETH SCHARANG
BRIGITTE HOBMEIER • GERTI DRASSL
BOGDAN DUMITRACHE • JOHANNES KRISCH
Director of Photography JÖRG WIDMER
Editor ALARICH LENZ
Original Sound WILLIAM EDOUARD FRANCK
Film Music HANIA RANI
Sound Mix MANUEL GRANDPIERRE
Sounddesign Veronika Hlawatsch
Costume Designer CAROLA PIZZINI
Set Designer NINA SALAK
Makeup Artist SAM DOPONA VERENA EICHTINGER
Casting LISA OLAH
Production Manager ANDREAS KISPERT
Line Producer ULRIKE LAESSER
Written and Directed by ELISABETH SCHARANG
Producer MICHAEL KATZ VEIT HEIDUSCHKA
A production of WEGA FILM
Austria 2023 | 100’ | 2K Scope | 1:2,39
International Sales:
Picture Tree International
Yuan Rothbauer | Co-MD/Head of Sales
pti@picturetree-international.com
TRACK SHOT | TIFF PUBLICITY
Kate McEdwards | Kate.McEdwards@trackshotmedia.con
Laura Sok | Laura.Sok@trackshotmedia.com
After the explosion it all seems very quiet. Marian leaves the city behind and retreats to the old house she inherited from her grandmother. The nearest village is ten kilometers away, there’s no electricity and no hot water. Sometimes submitting to a catastrophe is the only way to begin afresh.
Synopsis
After the explosion it all seems very quiet.
Marian (Brigitte Hobmeier) packs a few things, leaves her husband (Bogdan Dumitrache) behind in the city and retreats to the old house she inherited from her grandmother. The nearest village is ten kilometers away, there’s no electricity, and she has no food, no car and not much money. And her presence here is disturbing, prompting unrest in the village. What does she want here?
Marian’s childhood friend Gerti (Gerti Drassl) lives near the old house; she runs a small farm and takes care of her elderly parents. Gerti and Marian used to be best friends, forming a trio with Franz (Johannes Krisch); they roamed through the woods for days. Marian’s return revives old conflicts as well as forgotten dreams between the three of them.
Sometimes submitting to a catastrophe is the only way to begin afresh. Inspired by the bestseller WALD (FOREST) by Doris Knecht, director and screenwriter Elisabeth Scharang (“Jack”) tells a powerful story that develops quietly, a tale of dependencies, fear of losing control and the feeling of freedom. But Scharang knows that everything can work out if two women sit down side by side, open a can of beer and share a cigarette.
Elisabeth Scharang:
“Marian has no option other than to act this way. I think that if the place where you feel safe – your home, the city you live in – ceases to be a safe space, it’s the worst thing that can happen to you. It‘s very difficult to cope with that. I also knew that something inconceivable had happened, but nothing had happened to me personally; I wasn‘t hurt. It was only the next day, when I tried to talk about it, that I was forced to realize I couldn’t stop crying. I had no control over myself anymore. Only then did it become clear that something had happened to me.”
Marian (Brigitte Hobmeier) packs a few things, leaves her husband (Bogdan Dumitrache) behind in the city and retreats to the old house she inherited from her grandmother. The nearest village is ten kilometers away, there’s no electricity, and she has no food, no car and not much money. And her presence here is disturbing, prompting unrest in the village. What does she want here?
Marian’s childhood friend Gerti (Gerti Drassl) lives near the old house; she runs a small farm and takes care of her elderly parents. Gerti and Marian used to be best friends, forming a trio with Franz (Johannes Krisch); they roamed through the woods for days. Marian’s return revives old conflicts as well as forgotten dreams between the three of them.
Sometimes submitting to a catastrophe is the only way to begin afresh. Inspired by the bestseller WALD (FOREST) by Doris Knecht, director and screenwriter Elisabeth Scharang (“Jack”) tells a powerful story that develops quietly, a tale of dependencies, fear of losing control and the feeling of freedom. But Scharang knows that everything can work out if two women sit down side by side, open a can of beer and share a cigarette.
Elisabeth Scharang:
“Marian has no option other than to act this way. I think that if the place where you feel safe – your home, the city you live in – ceases to be a safe space, it’s the worst thing that can happen to you. It‘s very difficult to cope with that. I also knew that something inconceivable had happened, but nothing had happened to me personally; I wasn‘t hurt. It was only the next day, when I tried to talk about it, that I was forced to realize I couldn’t stop crying. I had no control over myself anymore. Only then did it become clear that something had happened to me.”