Breathing

18-year-old Roman has already served half his sentence in juvenile prison where he is being held. Soon his parole request will be re-examined but the chances of its being approved are slim, since the young man has no family and his reintegration into society seems uncertain. After several unsuccessful attempts and in order to speed up his release, Roman gets a job at the public cemetery of Vienna. There he is confronted with the body of a woman bearing the same name as him, which motivates him to start looking for his mother. Dark but at the same time optimistic, spare but philosophical, “Atmen” by well-known actor Karl Markovics, is one of the most promising directorial debuts in recent years. The cold atmosphere and the steady, imposing framing retain a dramaturgical integrity until the end, in a film about breathing – and how, apart from being instinctive, it can become a process that’s painful as much as it’s scary.

Atmen - Αναπνοή by NyxtesPremieras

Director: Karl Markovics

Screenwriter: Karl Markovics

DoP: Martin Gschlacht

Music: Herbert Tucmandl

Editor: Alarich Lenz

Principal Cast: Thomas Schubert, Karin Lischka, Gerhard Liebmann

Country: Austria

Year: 2011

Running Time: 90’

Language: German