Based on the true story of “Pump-gun Ronnie” which Martin Prinz used as source material for his eponymous novel, DER RÄUBER (THE ROBBER) tells the story of Johann Rettenberger (Andreas Lust), a restless misfit who is driven by an inexplicable desire to stay in motion. Motivated by the pure beauty of the criminal campaigns he executes, he is both cool and calculated whilst also fast and resourceful in the frenzied intensity of his criminal exploits. Rettenberger’s emotional indifference to rehabilitation is shattered the moment Erika (Franziska Weisz) steps back into his life during a chance meeting at the job centre. She offers him refuge and a place to stay, however the dark secrets he hides from her and his probation officer soon overwhelm him. Misguided in his dual search for love and freedom, the authorities finally begin to close in on the robber. Moved by an over-powering inner energy he attempts to flee the largest deployment of police forces in Austria’s modern history, but will his wit and athleticism give him the opportunity for one last escape. DER RÄUBER (THE ROBBER) is a thriller about reckless bank robberies, heart-pounding marathons, ill-fated love and dramatic escapes.

I see Rettenberger as a kind of natural phenomenon driven by an inner energy pushing him to take running and robbing banks to an extreme. On the other hand he needs love, life and intimacy – which represents a dramatic contradiction.