Hundstage

Austria

Synopsis

It's a hot and suffocating weekend in the suburbs of Vienna somewhere between the Autobahn and the exit roads, the hypermarkets and new housing estates.

During these dog days of summer, six interwoven stories unravel, revealing a world of disillusionment and lonely souls.

While the days are lazy and melancholic, spent lounging in underpants and bikinis; the nights, steeped in alcohol, sex and song unleash a fury of violence and raw emotions.

With no respite from the oppressive heat, tension builds and tempers rise to an atmosphere of seething aggression. This is life at its most vulnerable and intimate.

Director's Biography

Ulrich Seidl is internationally acclaimed for his award-winning documentaries, e.g. GOOD NEWS, ANIMAL LOVE, and MODELS. Werner Herzog ranks Ulrich Seidl among his ten favourite filmmakers and has said the following about ANIMAL LOVE: "I have never looked so directly into hell in the cinema." Ulrich Seidl's new work DOG DAYS is his first feature film.

Filmography:
1980 EINSVIERZIG
1982 DER BALL
1990 GOOD NEWS
1992 LOSSES TO BE EXPECTED
1994 DIE LETZTEN MÄNNER, TV
1995 ANIMAL LOVE
1996 BILDER EINER AUSSTELLUNG, TV
1997 DER BUSENFREUND, TV
1998 LUNCH WITHOUT LIMITS, TV
1998 MODELS
2001 DOG DAYS
2001 ZUR LAGE
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Cast & Crew

Directed by: Ulrich Seidl

Written by: Ulrich Seidl, Veronika Franz

Produced by: Helmut Grasser, Philippe Bober

Cinematography: Wolfgang Thaler

Editing: Andrea Wagner, Christof Schertenleib

Production Design: Renate Martin, Andreas Donhauser

Costume Design: Sabine Volz

Cast: Maria Hofstätter (the hitchhiker), Alfred Mrva (the alarm systems man), Erich Finsches (the old man), Gerti Lehne (the housekeeper), Franziska Weisz (the young girl), Rene Wanko (her boyfriend)

Nominations and Awards

  • European Discovery of the Year - Fassbinder Award  2001
  • Feature Film Selection 2001