washed ashore

Life on the Danube is essentially determined by two factors: the river itself, and the oft strange idiosyncrasies of the people who live along its banks. And they are multiferious: fishermen and graveyard wardens, Buddhist monks, allotment holders on Danube Island, stranded shippers, tramps and soldiers. All linked by the great current against which they swim. The film tells their stories and their longings - tranquil images by an unobtrusive camera tell of the innumerable people who have drowned and lie buried in the "Cemetery of the Nameless" in Albern and similarly of the Rumanian shipper and his wife who have been sitting on their tug in Vienna for over a year because the blockade of the river in former Yugoslavia prevents them from going home.


"With very modest means and an infallible feeling for the essential, one of the youngest and most promising documentary filmmakers in Austria, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, has made an outstanding film. washed up calmly, and without commentary, presents a portrait of people who spend their lives on the banks of the river Danube or on the river itself. The presentation by no means detracts from the entertaining quality of the film. The contemplative black and white pictures get their strength from stylistic precision, and a captivating harmony of rhythm and picture composition. The message, which is never forced on you, has to be captured, gently."

(Robert Buchschwenter)

Orig. Title
angeschwemmt
Year
1994
Country
Austria
Duration
86 min
Category
Documentary
Orig. Language
German
Credits
Director
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Script
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Cinematography
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Music
Valentin Kiriytschuk, Anatoliy Bulavitskiy, Polina Schestova
Editing
Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Wolfgang Widerhofer
Sound
Rainer Knoepffler, Christoph Meissl
Actor/Actress
Aurel Rotaru, Helene Rotaru, Vickerl Albrecht, Josef Fuchs
Production
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Available Formats
16 mm (Original Format)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,37
Sound Format
mono
Frame Rate
24 fps
Color Format
b/w
16 mm (Distribution Copy)
Aspect Ratio
1:1,37
Sound Format
mono
Frame Rate
24 fps
Color Format
b/w
DCP 2K flat (Distribution Copy)
Festivals (Selection)
1995
Hof - Internationale Filmtage
Vancouver - Int. Film Festival
Marseille - Sunny Side of the Doc / Int. Market of Documentaries
Nyon - Dokumentarfilm Festival
Rotterdam - Int. Filmfestival
Olympia - Film Festival
1996
Stuttgart - Filmwinter, Expanded Media Festival