steirischer herbst 2010

Touché!
The art of documentary touch

39% reality
51% montage
10% children

Virtuosity always implies asserting, negotiating, exceeding or undermining rules and conventions – and so the virtuosity of documentary film art is equally a kind of duel between image and reality. Documentary film has long abandoned the aim of depicting reality – or, as they say in classical fencing: to hit without being hit; liberated from the need to depict reality as realistically and objectively as possible, it can involve viewers themselves in the duel with the aid of ambitious arguments and strategies: what are the rules, how do you hit without being hit?
The virtuosity of documentary form between showing, looking, watching and listening is also the programme in terms of content: skills and the right spirit as tricks circulate on the market of personalities as contemporary artifices: people sell themselves. Above all young people find themselves faced with a chronic pressure of education, flexibility and integration that is a substantial deciding factor with regard to economic and social success. At the same time, their family, social, societal and political life-worlds are increasingly departing from any idea of normality: for example Edna, who sometimes forgets at school that there is a class; or Nico, who cannot make any friends and instead repairs computers, sells sweets in a kiosk, and turns off the lights in the school at night; or David, who takes the town by storm, or the girl, who is asleep.
Is this where documentary film meets those who are capable of something and have something to show and those who can only watch? What norms are still valid (in real life and in film), what norms do we need to invent or at least dodge?

Commissioned by steirischer herbst
In co-operation with doxs! Duisburger Filmwoche & Goethe-Institut München

Film programme for children and young people

Admission free
Sun 03/10 & Mon 11/10, 11 am
8+
Laila Hodell, Bertel Torne Olsen (DK)
City of bees 2004

Tue 12/10, 11 am
10+
Bernd Sahling (D) Ednas Tag 2009 /
Anna Wahle (D) Herr Rücker 2009

Wed 13/10, 11 am
14+
Volko Kamensky (D) Divina Obsesión 1999 / Corinna Schnitt (D) Das schlafende Mädchen 2001 /
Fatboy Slim, Spike Jonze (USA) Weapon of Choice 2001

Thu 14/10, 11 am
14+
Kez Margrie (GB) The wrong trainers 2007 / Moby Longinotto (GB) Small Town Boy 2007 /
Julie Angel (GB) My space 2008

Fri 15/10, 11 am
12+
Andreas Scheffer (D) Für einen Moment 2006 / Christoph
Girardet (D) Pianoforte 2007 / Michael Koch (D) Wir sind dir treu 2005

Information and registration for school classes: education@steirischerherbst.at

Sun 03/10, 11 am
”Children‘s brunch with film“

Festival centre Stadtpark

Curated by
Gudrun Sommer (D)
Film hosting by
Petra Erdmann (A), Stephanie Lang (D) & Roman Fasching (A)