Ben Schidla

An audition for men aged between 16 and 99. There are no props nor make-up, just pure improvisation. All that is required is the willingness to engage openly with the topic and language of the words on the page. No small challenge, since the text in question is the scandalous novel published anonymously in 1906 “Josefine Mutzenbacher, or the Life Story of a Viennese Whore, as Told by Herself” which, as this film confirms, continues to be the subject of passionate and controversial discussions about desire, even today. What might be world-class pornographic literature for some is seen by others as an abusive depiction of child sexuality.

There are no taboos in the grotesque underground realm of Pfaffenbichler’s 2551 movies, which cross all borders, especially those of good taste. Reviving the original punk spirit of true independent filmmaking, Pfaffenbichler and his ingenious collaborators have concocted another marvel of no-budget ingenuity.

The Bergen Empire 1962. For years there has been a war... Abused for the newsreel as a mascot for war propaganda, the young nurse Elisa is sent back to her devastated hometown to boost morale. But when she is assigned to old General Roald as a housekeeper, he recognizes his young self in her and opens her eyes. Worried about her family, she agrees to a risky plan against the regime..