firn

firn begins where Austrian TV movies of the 70s and early 80s left off in the depiction of rural life. While these films were made in light of momentous changes such as rural flight and social modernization, and accordingly attempted to go beyond the social setting itself to make general statements, firn focuses on its center: actions and statements which do not go beyond the situation in which they take place without first giving them a particular meaning. A visitor arrives. It is the son who now lives in the city and studies art. After being picked up by his father, he meets his brother in the barn as the latter is feeding the cows. They exchange superficial greetings, the first brother’s offer of help is refused. No dialectic tension between proximity and distance is built up, or not only, and what is shown is that a separation has taken effect and been accepted. This separation is painful, but the pain has faded. This is the situation. The subsequent conversation in the living room underlines and expands upon the situation: The empty phrases conceal the antithesis separating the figures, but this antithesis does not represent the conclusion. It applies to the situation only, and does not go beyond it without being itself transgressed by the situation.

The sun warms the air during the day, the temperature drops below freezing at night. If there is snow on the ground, the result is granular snow or "firn", a predecessor of glacial ice.
(Vrääth Öhner)
Translation: Steve Wilder

Orig. Title
firn
Year
2003
Country
Austria
Duration
12 min
Director
Sigmund Steiner
Category
Short fiction
Orig. Language
German
Subtitles
English
Downloads
firn (Image)
firn (Image)
firn (Image)
Credits
Director
Sigmund Steiner
Script
Babzy Grascher, Sigmund Steiner
Music
The Notwist
Editing
Rosana Saavedra Santis
Sound
Werner Angerer
Actor/Actress
Daniel Keberle, Tom Hanslmaier, Alois Frank
Production
Sigmund Steiner
Production Manager
Michael Stark
Supported by
Wien Kultur, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien/Abteilung Film und Fernsehen
Available Formats
35 mm (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,66
Sound Format
stereo
Frame Rate
25 fps
Festivals (Selection)
2003
Regensburg - Kurzfilmwoche
Ludwigsburg - Filmfest
Wiesbaden - exground on screen
Graz - Diagonale, Festival des österreichischen Films
Bilbao - Certamen Int. de Cine Doc. y Cortometraje de Bilbao
Brest - Festival du Film Court
Ludwigsburg - Filmfest
Barcelona - L’ALTERNATIVA - II Mostra Internacional de Cinema Alternatiu
2004
Istanbul - Int. Short Film Festival
Tampere - Film Festival
Edinburgh - International Film Festival
Uppsala - Int. Short Film Festival