Wolfgang Thaler

Rural policewoman Andrea wants to end her marriage and become a detective inspector in the city. After a birthday party, her drunken soon-to-be ex-husband runs out in front of her car. In a state of shock, Andrea commits a hit-and-run.

The long-lost bon vivant Mike Bittini learns that his brother has fallen into a coma. He returns to his family, sneaks in like a hawk in the chicken coop and mixes things up properly. The uncle comes to help, brings chaos and finds love.

Richie Bravo, once upon a time a successful pop star, chases after his faded fame in wintry Rimini. Trapped between permanent intoxication and concerts for busloads of tourists, his world starts to collapse when his adult daughter breaks into his life.

A routine check-up reveals that the Pilates trainer Kathrin is suffering from kidney disease and needs a transplant. Her husband Arnold is a successful architect in the middle of a large project and is afraid of donating one of his kidneys. Götz, a friend of the couple's, would undergo the operation immediately if it means saving Kathrin's life - even though this causes problems with his partner Diana. Confronted by issues of life and death, the fragility of the relationships within and between the couples is laid bare. Eventually, the question can no longer be avoided: what is true love?

A sophisticated hotel somewhere on the French coast. Silvia and Gustav meet here, they have recently split up after 19 years of marriage. But they know each other well, and a fight begins in which Silvia always seems one step ahead. So she quickly realizes that Gustav's new, younger girlfriend is already expecting a child from him. The secret meeting between Silvia and Gustav takes a new turn when Gustav suddenly finds out that the conference center in Toulouse, where he is allegedly staying, was blown up in a terrorist attack.

Joana and Valentin Dorek are a married couple going through a crisis. This prompts them to take a trial session with a couple’s therapist. In the therapist’s consulting room they start off with their standard programme: she won’t stop talking and he isn’t even listening. The broken communication between the couple is a real challenge for the therapist. He is almost at his wits’ end when his mobile rings and a surprising message brings chaos into their therapy session.

Страшное в своей жестокости документальное изобличение охотников-туристов, убивающих ради "спортивного интереса". Цивилизованные европейцы целыми семьями приезжают в Африку, чтобы пострелять в красивейших животных, сфотографироваться рядом с их трупами, а после их разделывания украсить добытыми трофеями свои интерьеры.

Стефан Цвейг подобно сотням европейцев в предчувствии Второй мировой бежит из Старого Света. Из Рио-де-Жанейро в Буэнос-Айрес, из Нью-Йорка снова в Рио. И пусть ему и нравится новая жизнь в уютном бразильском предместье, душа его осталась дома.

Mae quit school and ran away from home. After her brother’s death her family is broken. Only his red shoes (Chucks) remain. Mae has to start working in a social institution where she meets Paul. He is funny, sensitive, takes Mae as she is - and he is terminally ill. In a book named Chucks Mae writes down her own story about growing up between life and death: wild, tender and absolutely honest.

В Османской провинции Хиджаз, во время Первой мировой войны маленький бедуинский мальчик переживает слишком поспешное взросление, когда отправляется в рискованное путешествие по пустыне, чтобы провести британского офицера к его засекреченному пункту назначения.

"If buildings could talk, what would they say about us?" CATHEDRALS OF CULTURE offers six startling responses. This 3D film project about the soul of buildings allows six iconic and very different buildings to speak for themselves, examining human life from the unblinking perspective of a manmade structure. Six acclaimed filmmakers bring their own visual style and artistic approach to the project. Buildings, they show us, are material manifestations of human thought and action: the Berlin Philharmonic, an icon of modernity; the National Library of Russia, a kingdom of thoughts; Halden Prison, the world's most humane prison; the Salk Institute, an institute for breakthrough science; the Oslo Opera House, a futuristic symbiosis of art and life; and the Centre Pompidou, a modern culture machine. CATHEDRALS OF CULTURE explores how each of these landmarks reflects our culture and guards our collective memory.

Её мать уезжает в Кению в поисках мальчиков, готовых предоставить ей любовные услуги. Её тетя — католик, с головой поглощённая проповедованием Евангелия. А 13-летняя Мелани проводит свои каникулы в диетическом лагере в Австрийских горах. В перерывах между физическими упражнениями и консультациями по вопросам питания, ночными боями подушками и тайными соревнованиями «кто больше выпьет» на местной дискотеке она влюбляется в доктора и по совместительству директора лагеря, который старше её на сорок лет…

Анна-Мария, по профессии рентгенотехник, уверена, что рай — там, где Иисус. Она посвящает весь свой отпуск миссионерской работе, чтобы Австрию можно было вернуть на путь добродетели. Ежедневно она совершает паломничество по Вене,: ходит от дома к дому с полуметровой статуей девы Марии. В один прекрасный день после многих лет отсутствия домой возвращается ее муж, мусульманин из Египта, прикованный к инвалидному креслу.

Если даме слегка за пятьдесят, означает ли, что её сексуальная жизнь закончилась?! В строгой, флегматичной Австрии, откуда родом наша героиня Тереза, — вполне вероятно. Но в жаркой, чувственной Кении, куда она собралась в отпуск, секс только начинается! Ведь здесь к услугам любой белой женщины десятки черных жрецов любви с белозубой улыбкой и отменной эрекцией. Проблема «активного» отдыха для дам пост-бальзаковского возраста лишь в одном: вулкан доступной эротики детонирует невостребованный запас нежных чувств, которые безжалостно разбиваются о неприступную меркантильность местных альфонсов.

Termites are underrated. They build high rises without any technical devices that are, according to scale, 25 times higher than the the Empire State Building in New York. They are the only animals that have managed to build an air-conditioning system without electricity. How do they do it?

An examination of the lives, needs, troubles and hopes of prostitutes in Thailand, Bangladesh and Mexico.

Gangster boss Carlos orders the dodgy Viennese junkyard owner Harry to bring him a bag from Poland. Harry passes the order on to his "best man" Schorsch. Schorsch, not exactly the brightest, is currently without a driver's license and completely fixated on the 24-hour car race of Le Mans. So he gives the order to Mao and sends in their place the takeaway lessees Hans and Max to Poland. Their journey leads to a seemingly endless drug trip full of extraordinary phenomena.

Две отдельные судьбы. Два разных вектора. Ольга, медсестра с Украины, бросает свою семью, чтобы искать лучшую жизнь на Западе и в итоге работает уборщицей в доме престарелых в Австрии. Пауль, безработный охранник из Вены, ищет причину вставать по утрам, отправляется вместе с отчимом на Восток и в итоге оказывается на Украине. Двое молодых людей, жаждущие начать новую жизнь, столкнулись с суровой реальностью. Две истории о поисках счастья и материальной выгоды, о темных сторонах сексуальности и смерти и о том, как трудно чистить зубы чучелу лисы.

Daredevil mountain climbers on their attempt to break yet another speed climbing record.

Timo Novotny labels his new project an experimental music documentary film, in a remix of the celebrated film Megacities (1997), a visually refined essay on the hidden faces of several world "megacities" by leading Austrian documentarist Michael Glawogger. Novotny complements 30 % of material taken straight from the film (and re-edited) with 70 % as yet unseen footage in which he blends original shots unused by Glawogger with his own sequences (shot by Megacities cameraman Wolfgang Thaler) from Tokyo. Alongside the Japanese metropolis, Life in Loops takes us right into the atmosphere of Mexico City, New York, Moscow and Bombay. This electrifying combination of fascinating film images and an equally compelling soundtrack from Sofa Surfers sets us off on a stunning audiovisual adventure across the continents. The film also makes an original contribution to the discussion on new trends in documentary filmmaking. Written by KARLOVY VARY IFF 2006

Это документальная поэма в пяти эпизодах; каждый снят где-то далеко на задворках цивилизации. В Донецке шахтеры самовольно вырабатывают закрытую шахту; в Нигерии мясники забивают скот; в Китае варят сталь; в Пакистане — разбирают на металлолом старые корабли; в Индонезии — добывают и продают вулканическую серу.

Это документальная поэма в пяти эпизодах; каждый снят где-то далеко на задворках цивилизации. В Донецке шахтеры самовольно вырабатывают закрытую шахту; в Нигерии мясники забивают скот; в Китае варят сталь; в Пакистане — разбирают на металлолом старые корабли; в Индонезии — добывают и продают вулканическую серу.

Year after year hundreds of thousands of fans line the route of the Tour de France, cheering on their heroes and willing them to victory, while millions of viewers worldwide tune in on their televisions. Academy Award-winning director Pepe Danquart, fascinated by the spectacle of the three week race, chose to focus on the courage, the pain and the fear of the riders of the Tour. Training his lens on German superstar sprinter Eric Zabel and his loyal domestique Rolf Aldag, Danquart captures the thrill of the race and the teamwork behind the stars of the peleton. He also shines light on the Tour's supporting cast - the director sportifs, masseurs, and, of course, the wildly enthusiastic fans. Reveling in the stunning landscape - from the Alps to the Pyrenees to the Massif Central to Paris - and with a nice dollop of Le Tour's history, HELL ON WHEELS transcends the sport it celebrates to reveal an astonishing human endeavor.

Three loser-type ex-students who earn too little money and don´t get laid as much as they want, try to change that by producing a home made porn movie starring themselves. They loan money from a pimp and begin casting the girls. When filming starts they find out that sex in front of the camera is hard work. Also you should know how to work a video camera. Frustration, relationship problems and cabin fever culminate in a dope induced garden orgy. But is it a film?

The Austrian region of Hallstatt-Dachstein features breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear lakes and a deep historic relevance: During the Hallstatt era, 2500 years ago, the celtics built an empire on the ancient salt-mines of the region. Using the latest CGI techniques, dramatic reenactments and outstanding nature photography director Wolfgang Thaler lets this fascinating region come to life.

Граница Австрии и Словакии. Джонни и Ширли артистично угоняют машину у простодушного бандита. В Братиславе парочка безуспешно пытается продать автомобиль. Пока Джонни нагружается пивом, девушка бесследно исчезает. Вместе с проходимцем из Восточной Германии, он отправляется на поиски Ширли. И следует за ней по всему континенту. Одиссея героев подходит к концу лишь у Черного моря, в шумной Одессе.

Истории жителей Лос-Анджелеса, чьи судьбы пересеклись благодаря их любимым собакам.

FRANKREICH WIR KOMMEN is a highly enjoyable documentary, obviously intended for TV, but showing at film festivals. It shows us the highlights of the 1998 World Cup Championships in France through the eyes of several interesting and diverse fans of the Austrian national team. Entertaining, even for those not interested in football.

Documentary about Mikhael T. Kalashnikov, inventior of the AK-47 assault rifle. The story of a tragic hero whose name will be synonymous with struggle and terrorism forever.

Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.

An afternoon in the biggest fair of Germany.

A family has the death of a pregnant daughter on its conscience. Their hollow understanding of tradition leads them to insist on revenge by the sword, and so the girl's boyfriend must die.

A film about ignorance, intolerance and the lack of responsibility in people. A political film about human kindness, which in many of the so-called "incidents on the border" has been sadly missing.

Two women in two different countries leading different lives. One lives in Austria, one in Yugoslavia, yet their lives become strangely entangled for a moment in time. What if you wake up in somebody else's head and the city around you isn't the one you used to know?

A film about news, life and death. Before the media became so prevalent, we were concerned about our immediate neighborhood. At the end of the day, news was the subject of our conversations, but now it's possible to converse with someone at the other end of the globe. We do it all the time. It's simple. The world has become one big neighborhood. Now Headline News has replaced the back fence. That's the news service of the eigthies. It's a new idea and a new approach.

The Hartmut-Wolf-System is a relationship between two people which adheres to strict internal and external rules. The Hartmut-Wolf-System leads to self-destruction. A face à la viennoise.