At the movies: “Annas Sleeping Dogs”: Nasty Old Time – Tagesspiegel

Until the 1970′s, the majority of the Austrian people has claimed that the 1938 “connected” country was occupied by the Nazis against the will of its inhabitants. You could feel as victims, for a reappraisal of history, it was at the time already arg late. And today right national ideology is already almost a majority, as just the presidential election showed.

Perhaps because of this broad populist consensus within the Austrian people have satirist, writer, filmmaker and songwriter more reason to sharp criticism from ours where a mild Chancellor from the political center, and a friendly former pastor and Stasi spotter govern the country. So different filmmakers like Ulrich Seidl ( “Paradise Trilogy”, 2012/13), Andreas Prochaska ( “The dark valley”, 2014) or Götz Spielmann ( “October November”, 2013) drawing unflattering portraits of their compatriots in the past and present , They are particularly often to their self-righteousness and separation from all that also appears minimal foreign.

former Nazis, bigoted Christians and drunkards

“Annas Sleeping Dogs” directed the critical views 1960s: In Linz two Jewish sisters do everything to hide their origin: As survivors of Nazism have Catholic men married, her mother had the girl and can save himself, because her husband enjoyed prestige among the Nazis. But the born around 1960 siblings Michael and Johanna do not understand why they should not take part in a singing contest of the Catholic youth, why the religious teacher they want bullies and some children have nothing to do with them. On questions there are no answers to some people may not be be friendly, and the blind grandmother sometimes says unpleasant things that nobody wants to hear.

Andreas Gruber ( “Rabbit Hunt”, 1995), with pale colors , fog and diffuse light images staged a bow of small town life in the teeming of former Nazis, bigoted Christians Belästigern and drunkards and are in the domestic violence, pedophilia and sexual blackmail on the agenda. That’s a bit much, considering that really told the story about nine-year Johanna (Nike Seitz) who learns discovered their Jewishness and understand slowly, is serious enough. Her grandmother – pleasing reticent played by Hannelore Elsner – is what gives support and identity the insecure child and daughter and son-in forces, no longer to live with lies. This leads a kind of liberation and peace in the family brought with their surroundings. The mass of monsters who marched in the film, however, does not fit to the almost conciliatory conclusion
In theaters:. Blue Star Pankow, Kulturbrauerei, Eva and Cinema at Walther-Schreiber-Platz