July 1, 2018 at 16:15 Hrs. | Bangkok Screening Room
2017
Germany, Bulgaria, Austria
Feature film, 120 mins, colour
Director: Valeska Griesebach
With Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Veneta Fragnova
Made with a nonprofessional cast, the title of the film itself conjures up images of myths and a stereotype film genre. It tells of a group of German construction workers who are sent to work on a EU infrastructure project in a small Bulgarian village near the Greek border. Their task is to build a hydroelectric power plant. Unfortunately, the villagers are not aware that this will entail diverting the river. But preparation of the project is poor and the construction work quickly grinds to a halt. The challenging wild landscape awakens not only the men’s spirit of adventure but also their prejudices. In their free time, they socialize with the locals but are largely mistrusted by them. Water scarcity in the region is exacerbated by the diversion of the river and adds to the tension. In the years that follow, heated confrontation arises between the site manager Vincent and his colleague Meinhard. The village becomes a stage on which the two men compete for the recognition and favour of the villagers.
