RadioFilmFestival

15–17 November 2024 at the METRO Kinokulturhaus. To mark 100 years of radio, Globart curated this “cinematic declaration of love”: 10 films from 100 years – and renowned international film guests. A project by Filmarchiv Austria, Ö1 and Globart. Watch the trailer here!

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From 15 to 17 November 2024, the RadioFilmFestival took place at the METRO Kinokulturhaus.

A cooperation between Filmarchiv Austria, Ö1 and Globart. Based on film suggestions from Ö1 staff, Jakob Brossmann curated this “cinematic declaration of love to radio”. A look back.

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Cinema loves radio. Ever since the first broadcasts crackled through the ether 100 years ago, filmmakers have been fascinated by radio. In documentaries and fiction, they have tried to fathom the significance of the new mass medium. Like two unequal siblings, cinema and radio grew up through a turbulent century. They became complicit in the rise of fascism, revealed their potential for hatred and violence – and contributed decisively to overcoming them. Many of radio's reflections on cinema have long since faded into the ether. The films about radio, however – many of them masterpieces of film history – can still be seen today.

In the unique setting of the historic hall of the Metro Kinokulturhaus, which also celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, filmmakers and radio journalists came together to celebrate the close bond between film and radio with an enthusiastic audience. Just a few steps from the former site of RAVAG, Austria's first broadcasting house, the hall became a lively meeting place from 15 to 17 November 2024. Past and present merged, and 100 years of radio were celebrated in all their diversity and significance. “In view of 100 years of radio, we all feel quite young!” said Ö1 head Silvia Lahner with her usual humour at the opening, adding that she was particularly looking forward to seeing in the selected films how the magic of radio is created.

The diverse programme featured films from different genres, forms and decades, complemented by illuminating introductions and conversations with directors and filmmakers – each presented by a member of the Ö1 team, in Ö1's characteristic quality: inspiring, informative, critical and artistically minded. Documentary and fictional works complemented each other in a multifaceted experience that resonated strongly with audiences and participants alike, who were delighted by the discussions and unique insights into the history of how both media have inspired each other. The festival was not only a homage to the invisible waves of the ether, but also a celebration of the significance and beauty of their close connection with the moving images of cinema.

The appearances of the documentary filmmakers present were particularly impressive – above all Nicolas Philibert, who enchanted the audience not only with his opening film but also with his presence and attitude. “We are living in an age of vulgarity – and we are called upon to defend culture and places of nuanced discussion,” the Golden Bear winner said in his passionate plea. Ruth Beckermann, Martin Reinhart, David Paede, Alexandra Schneider, Marija Stojnic and Milo Rau (joining remotely) vividly described their experiences with radio – showing at the same time how diverse cinematic approaches can be, as parallels and differences emerged clearly when viewed together.

The festival's “blockbusters” were clearly “Gehört, Gesehen”, “Die Geträumten”, “La Maison de la Radio” and the classics “The Great Dictator” and “Good Morning, Vietnam” – the more demanding films drew a much smaller but all the more passionate audience. Radio and film experts from France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Serbia and several other regions of the world engaged in lively discussion on stage, in the auditorium and at the bar until late into the night.

“Film history is always also, to some extent, media history,” was how festival curator Jakob Brossmann put it at the opening – and Julia Baschiera of the Ö1 culture desk, who hosted the opening, added: “Media history has often found resonance in film history, too.”

This thesis – admittedly a little dry at first glance – could be experienced all weekend long and proved to be extremely joyful and sensual: a deep bow from cinema to the “younger” medium of radio, which has shaped the world so profoundly for 100 years and has decisively accompanied many of us in our personal development.

Our sincere thanks go to all filmmakers, presenters, the incomparable broadcaster Ö1, especially its marketing team, and our partner Filmarchiv Austria, who welcomed us to the unique METRO Kinokulturhaus. We also thank our sponsors Lederhaas Cosmetics and 25hours Hotel as well as our funders VAM Verwertungsgesellschaft für audiovisuelle Medien GmbH and VdFS Verwertungsgesellschaft der Filmschaffenden. Special thanks also go to the Filmakademie Wien, in particular Constantin Wulff, and to Forum Filmregie, who made an essential contribution to the cooperation for the masterclass with Nicolas Philibert.

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The programme:

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FRI | 15 NOV | 6 pm

LA MAISON DE LA RADIO – Nicolas Philibert, F/J 2012. CAMERA Katell Djian. 103 min | colour, French with German subtitles, DCP

At the heart of the great cultural nation stands a house: La Maison de la Radio – the broadcasting house in Paris. Nicolas Philibert, master of observational documentary, shows the bustle, the focused work, the reflecting, speaking and listening. With a keen eye for detail, he assembles everything a successful broadcast operation needs. We witness how the magic of radio is created – and where the medium reaches its limits. Between moving music and the analysis of cruel realities, the film observes the production of a unifying offer to an increasingly digitally individualised society – in the passionate hope that listening can be a basis for empathetic coexistence. (jb) In the presence of Nicolas Philibert, host: Julia Baschiera

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FRI | 15 NOV | 9:30 pm

RADIOFRECCIA – Luciano Ligabue, I 1998. SCREENPLAY Antonio Leotti, Luciano Ligabue | CAMERA Arnaldo Catinari | MUSIC Luciano Ligabue | WITH Luciano Federico, Stefano Accorsi, Alessio Modica, Enrico Salimbeni. 113 min | colour, Italian with English subtitles, DCP

On 24 April, the final broadcast of Radiofreccia goes on air – a small station closing down after 18 years, just before coming of age. At the microphone, Bruno, one of its founders, reminisces once more and tells the story of the station, which is also the story of a few friends and a chapter of their lives. A lively and heartfelt directorial debut by the well-known singer-songwriter Luciano Ligabue. (red) Host: Michael Ladstätter

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SAT | 16 NOV | 2 pm

DREAMS REWIRED – Manu Luksch/Martin Reinhart/Thomas Tode, A/D/GB 2015. SCREENPLAY Manu Luksch, Mukul Patel | CAMERA Martin Putz | MUSIC Siegfried Friedrich | WITH Tilda Swinton (narrator). 85 min | colour & b/w, English with German subtitles, DCP

An essay film about longing, progress, dissolved distances, virtual realities and a present shaped by total connectivity … It has never been easier to access media content anywhere, at any time, or to travel to the remotest places on earth. Where does this desire come from, how did it develop, and where is it taking humanity? (kh/red) In the presence of Manu Luksch, host: Christian Scheib. Followed by: films on the history of radio from the collection of Filmarchiv Austria

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SAT | 16 NOV | 2 pm

THE GREAT DICTATOR – Charles Chaplin, US 1940. SCREENPLAY Charles Chaplin | CAMERA Karl Struss, Roland Totheroh | MUSIC Charles Chaplin, Meredith Willson | WITH Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell, Billy Gilbert, Maurice Moscovitch, Emma Dunn. 124 min | b/w, English with German subtitles, 35mm | Print: Österreichisches Filmmuseum

"Turn off the radio!" cries Hannah, who almost fails to hear the storm troopers advancing on the ghetto over the broadcast roar of the dictator Hynkel. The medium is almost omnipresent in this film about dictatorship, antisemitism and the occupation of "Osterlich" – as clairvoyant as it is moving. In Charles Chaplin's first sound film, microphones bend away to dodge the dictator's tirades and the streets echo with hatred – but in the end, the medium itself becomes a tool for good: a message of love and humanity travels through the ether and becomes a utopian vision. "Hannah, can you hear me?" – "Listen …" are the film's last words. (jb) Host: Ines Mitterer

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SAT | 16 NOV | 7 pm

DIE GETRÄUMTEN (THE DREAMED ONES) – Ruth Beckermann, A 2016. SCREENPLAY Ruth Beckermann, Ina Hartwig | CAMERA Johannes Hammel | WITH Anja Plaschg, Laurence Rupp. 89 min | colour, German original, DCP

Love, hate, words that can wound and console – the letters exchanged between the writers Paul Celan and Ingeborg Bachmann from 1948 until his suicide in 1971 bear witness to great emotion, passion and doubt between two people. In a recording studio, two actors read these letters to each other and bring the tensions of the precise texts to the surface, while in the breaks they sit together casually, roll cigarettes and reflect on their own relationships. A simple premise becomes an enormously layered, fascinating film in which you can practically watch words trigger feelings, while the boundaries between staging and documentary increasingly seem to blur. (fw) In the presence of Ruth Beckermann, host: Christine Scheucher

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SAT | 16 NOV | 9:30 pm

GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM – Barry Levinson, US 1987. SCREENPLAY Mitch Markowitz, based on the life of Adrian Cronauer | CAMERA Peter Sova | MUSIC Alex North | WITH Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana, J. T. Walsh. 121 min | colour, English with German subtitles, DCP

Adrian Cronauer is the kind of man who doesn't mince his words – ideal qualifications for a job as a radio DJ. In the mid-1960s he is posted to Vietnam to boost the morale of the American troops stationed there with his unconventional approach. While the ordinary soldiers quickly come to adore him, he meets with increasing resistance from his superiors … Robin Williams in one of his best roles: at first a carefree joker, he becomes increasingly aware of his own responsibility in this dirty war and is forced to follow his conscience. That he still sends plenty of good humour and even more catchy tunes through the ether is what gives this thought-provoking comedy its special charm. (fw) Host: Nicole Dietrich

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SUN | 17 NOV | 11 am | Ö1 Matinee

GEHÖRT, GESEHEN – EIN RADIOFILM – Jakob Brossmann/David Paede, A 2019. SCREENPLAY Jakob Brossmann, David Paede | CAMERA Jakob Brossmann, David Paede, Barbara Sas. 90 min | colour, German original, DCP

The cultural radio station Ö1 is one of the most remarkable broadcasters in the world. Day after day, its radio makers prepare current events, long-term developments and artistic productions of every scale. GEHÖRT, GESEHEN – EIN RADIOFILM aims to make the fascination of radio and radio-making tangible. Against the backdrop of new phenomena such as the “post-factual society” and the fact that entire sections of the population retreat into their own information bubbles, the film shows the daily struggle for objective information and the value of public broadcasting for society. Through the omnipresence of music, mostly created live on air for this project, the film becomes a sensual and moving experience. (red) In the presence of the filmmakers, host: Doris Glaser From 11 am film breakfast (incl. cinema ticket €20, no reductions). Free admission for Ö1 Club and Globart members. Registration required at reservierung@filmarchiv.at

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SUN | 17 NOV | 3:30 pm

TALK TO ME – Kasi Lemmons, US 2007. SCREENPLAY Michael Genet, Rick Famuyiwa | CAMERA Stéphane Fontaine | MUSIC Terence Blanchard | WITH Don Cheadle, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mike Epps, Peter MacNeill, Martin Sheen. 119 min | colour, English with German/French subtitles, 35mm

A friendship between two men lies at the heart of this cinematic tribute to Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, pioneer of "Black broadcasting", and his fascination with the broadcast word. A "simple truth" from a former convict, spoken casually and without mincing words, can become a political force – if you manage to get him on air. (jb) Host: Peter Waldenberger

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SUN | 17 NOV | 6 pm

HATE RADIO – Milo Rau, CH 2014. SCREENPLAY Milo Rau, based on his play of the same name | CAMERA Marcel Bächtiger, Patrick Meyer-Clement et al. | WITH Sébastien Foucault, Afazali Dewaele, Nancy Nkusi, Diogène Ntarindwa. 52 min | colour, multilingual with German subtitles, digital

On 6 April 1994, the Rwandan president's plane is hit by two missiles shortly before landing, triggering the most horrific genocide since the end of the Cold War. The popular radio station RTLM plays a central role in the murder of more than a million people, prepared for months by its presenters with indescribable cynicism. In this film version of his play, Milo Rau explores the background. (red) Followed by a conversation with Milo Rau, host: Monika Kalcsics

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SUN | 17 NOV | 8:30 pm

SPEAK SO I CAN SEE YOU – Marija Stojnić, SRB/HR/Q 2019. SCREENPLAY Marija Stojnić | CAMERA Dušan Grubin | MUSIC Filip Mitrović. 73 min | colour, English/Serbian with English subtitles, DCP

What is a human being? What is fear? Did the year 1968 even happen? These and less existential thoughts accompany the viewer on a journey through Radio Belgrade, one of Europe's oldest radio stations. An experimental film that draws you into a sound and image collage appealing to all the senses. The journey through corridors, archives and the foyer is combined with excerpts from radio plays, music recordings and voices from the past, intercut with the station's everyday life today. (Anja Klauck) "A synaesthetic declaration of love to the radiophonic art form and a rousing homage to the cultural value of public radio recordings." (The Berliner) In the presence of Marija Stojnić, host: Johann Kneihs

Information and tickets: reservierung@filmarchiv.at or +43 1 512 18 03 (from 2 pm). Ö1 Club and Globart members receive a 50 percent discount, or 100 percent for the Ö1 Matinee.