Dancing Hearts
No dance represents the old imperial city of Vienna as the Viennese Waltz does. It became the soundtrack to the era of the Ringstraße, the young Franzl and his Sisi shared their first embrace to its sound and through it, Johann Strauß Jr. (1825-1899) became a superstar. In an environment of puritanical pseudo-morality, the Waltz presented the only legitimate way for men and women to touch each other in public. Through its spinning motion the dance gave a feeling of weightlessness and thereby became the electrifying accomplice of a restrained eroticism. Director Stefan Wolner goes back to the origins of the Waltz and demonstrates why its popularity is unbroken to this day. The success story of the three-four time is illustrated with the most beautiful excerpts of the ballet interludes of the Vienna New Year’s concert and of Viennese balls.
Continue
City of Legends
There is hardly another city as rich in legends as Vienna. Whether in alleyways or on street corners, in houses or on squares – in Vienna one can find myths and legends everywhere. Dark secrets lurk behind every corner and the closer you look, the more mysterious the metropolis on the Danube becomes. From the ‘Basilisk’ to the ‘Spinnerin am Kreuz’, the ‘Lieber Augustin’ to the ‘Stock im Eisen’ – you can find stories everywhere, because they are part of our history. In this documentary, Vienna guide Barbara Wolflingseder leads us deep into the local legends and explains, which worries, fears and hope lay beneath them. The documentary gives a vivid image of Vienna as it once was.
Continue
#Unbroken – Mabachers Way
Martin Habacher sollte eigentlich gar nicht am Leben sein. Zumindest nicht, wenn es nach den Ärztinnen und Ärzten geht. Kurz nach seiner Geburt wurde ein früher Tod prognostizierten. Martin Habacher kam mit der Glasknochenkrankheit zur Welt. Doch seine körperliche Zerbrechlichkeit macht ihn letztendlich zu einer stärkeren Persönlichkeit, als man auf den ersten Blick erwarten würde. Auf vehemente und doch humorvolle Art und Weise tritt der kleinste YouTuber der Welt heute für Toleranz ein. Er bricht Barrieren auf – im Alltag und in unseren Köpfen.
Continue
City of Love
„Who sleeps, does not sin – who sins before sleeping, sleeps even better!”. Stefan Wolner follows the tracks of a salacious Vienna. Stories of the secret affairs of the Habsburgs, of houses of pleasure and the obscenities of the Biedermeier era.
Continue
Desired Country Austria
Fresh air, picturesque landscapes and long-standing traditions make Austria a popular travel destination. Especially Asian and American tourists are attracted to the former estates of the Habsburgs. Subsequently, Wolfgang Stickler’s documentary ‘Unequal siblings’ looks at the special relationship between ‘Ösis’ (Austrians) and ‘Piefkes’ (Germans).
Continue
Late Blossom Blues
When 81-year old Leo “Bud” Welch from the Mississippi backwoods released his debut record “Sabougla Voices” in 2014, he took the Blues world by surprise: Where has this guy been for the past 60 years? Why has nobody ever heard of him? When he started playing 10-15 shows every month and even started getting invitations to Europe and Africa, more questions arose: How is this possible for a guy his age? Who makes all these shows happen? Answers are given in LATE BLOSSOM BLUES, a feature-length documentary about Leo “Bud” Welch and his very late rise to stardom. It’s the quintessential Blues story – a story about poverty, about work in the cotton fields and the woods, about The Lord and The Devil, and of course a story about life, that reminds us that it’s never too late to live your dream.
Continue
The Power of the Audience Ratings
Audience ratings are the hard currency of the world of television. They determine the costs of advertisement placement, the success and failure of programmes - and sometimes the fate of entire channels. This repeatedly makes them the target of heavy criticism.
Continue
Mysterious City
This documentary is on a quest to find mystical places, which, according to many inhabitants, radiate a certain aura. This quest has developed into a special tour of Vienna, which awakens memories of the post-war period. Sites such as the Viennese Albertina square with the Café Mozart, the Ferris wheel and the canalisation will always be connected to one of the most famous movies about the city: The Third Man.
Continue