Sunday, June 17, 4:00 p.m. Victoria • NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
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| Mati and her motorbike |
First off, the film is in Austria, with the dialogue in German, but the title comes from an Italian song that wraps up the ending of the film. Mati is about to finish high school, planning to go to university in Vienna. In the mean time, she hangs out with her motorbike buddies, including her best friend since childhood, Sebi, riding around in what appears to be a disused quarry. She also helps her mother, the town’s veterinarian, by way of which she meets Carla and Carla’s ailing cat. She finds herself wanting to spend more time with Carla, but not interested when Sebi says that he wants more than friendship. Meanwhile, Mati’s father is coming to terms with some issues of his own. Mati is torn in many directions, not sure she’s interested in following in her mother’s career, cherishing the bond she has with her friends, just wanting to be done with school, and exploring newfound feelings with Carla.
The setting for the film, in rural Austria as spring fades into summer, yields beautiful scenery, and I actually rather like watching motorbikes (although I’ve never ridden one, certainly not off-road). The tensions pulling at the characters — chiefly Mati and her father, but also others — play out in their own rhythm, avoiding facile resolutions so that we simply observe a coming-of-age in process. Unfortunately, although the subtitles are in white with a hairline black outline, they still don’t show up very well against light backgrounds, and there were a few scenes that struggled to hold my interest, but on the whole it’s worth the effort. Highly recommended.
The setting for the film, in rural Austria as spring fades into summer, yields beautiful scenery, and I actually rather like watching motorbikes (although I’ve never ridden one, certainly not off-road). The tensions pulling at the characters — chiefly Mati and her father, but also others — play out in their own rhythm, avoiding facile resolutions so that we simply observe a coming-of-age in process. Unfortunately, although the subtitles are in white with a hairline black outline, they still don’t show up very well against light backgrounds, and there were a few scenes that struggled to hold my interest, but on the whole it’s worth the effort. Highly recommended.
• IMDb • official website (in English or German) • Facebook @LAnimaleFilm •
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