Breathing | Atmen
Director: Karl Marcovics | Austria | 2011 | 94 mins | Cert: CLUB
Starring: Thomas Schubert, Karin Lischka, Gerhard Liebmann, Georg Friedrich, Stefan Matousch
Language: Austrian
Breathing is a brilliantly nuanced portrayal of youthful rebellion and the struggle to build a constructive future from a disadvantaged start in life. 18-year-old Roman is serving time in a juvenile detention center and attempting to find gainful employment that could earn him release on probation. His chances are poor as he doesn’t have family and doesn’t respond well to the punitive and judgemental authority figures who surround him. He slowly works towards an unexpected redemption in a challenging job as an undertaker’s assistant leading to a newfound interest in his estranged family. – Leeds International Film Festival
Read The Irish Times review. ****
