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30 Jan – 9 Feb 2025

Wer war Edgar Allen?

Michael Haneke | Austria | 1984 | 83' | | IFFR 1993

Film version of the book by Peter Rosei. The action is set in a ghostly and dreamy Venice. The leading character is a spoilt and melancholy student who has settled into a hovel. The student’s life is the city. He does some drawing but drinks more and also uses drugs. The boundary between delusion and reality seems to dissolve for him. The only regularity in his life is his daily visit to the renowned Florian Bar on San Mark’s Square. During these visits he gets to know the mysterious old American Edgar Allan. Allan lives in a large but disorderly palazzo, also looks like a drug user and his activities are obscure. The student is intrigued bythe American and tries to unravel his secret. During his quest, Venice becomes more and more a labyrinth and increasingly threatening. The camera becomes infected by the protagonist’s delusions of persecution and the images restlessly seek their way through a dark and unreal city.Like Haneke’s earlier work, this film was made for television; this was his first film which also found its way into the cinemas and to film festivals.

Film details

Country of production
Austria
Year
1984
Festival edition
IFFR 1993
Length
83"
Medium/Format
16mm

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