PROJECTS

RETURN TO EUROPE
MONTENEGRO - WILD BEAUTY
Music by Georg Gratzer & Andreas Fabianek

RETURN TO EUROPE
ALBANIA - ALBANIAN RENAISSANCE
Music by Georg Gratzer & Andreas Fabianek

LAURA´S STAR AND THE MYSTERIOUS DRAGON NIAN
Piano by Lang Lang
Chinese Dizi and Ethnic Instruments by Georg Gratzer

____________________________________________________________________________________

MONTENEGRO - WILD BEAUTY - DOCUMENTARY / A 2008 / HD CAM / 52 & 45 MINUTES
directed by Claudia Pöchlauer

Synopsis

With its rugged mountains and turbulent history, Montenegro is like a miniature version of the entire Balkan region. For centuries, the catholic, orthodox and Islamic cultures have come together in this country, which was known throughout Europe for its wild tribes and blood feuds. When Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia in summer 2006, many feared that the new state would collapse due to internal conflicts. But the former republic state of Yugoslavia – the only one that managed to avoid any kind of violent conflict on its territory after 1989 – now presents itself as a stable minor state with a flourishing economy and major tourist potential.
The documentary traces the development of the Montenegrin state and shows how the country is increasingly recognising its multi-ethnic diversity as part of its identity. The film takes us on a journey from the coastal region with its holiday resorts and impressive old towns, such as the UNESCO- protected former Venetian city of Kotor, via the capital of the former Kingdom of Montenegro, Cetinje, to the villages of the Durmitor National Park, which is often cut off from the outside world for six months in winter, where some of the traditional ways of life continue to survive. Images of breath-taking natural scenery and the personal stories of Montenegrins and Serbs, Croats, Bosnians and Albanians complete the portrait of a country, whose tourism slogan is – not without reason – “wild beauty”.
____________________________________________________________________________________

ALBANIA - ALBANIAN RENAISSANCE - DOCUMENTARY / A 2008 / HD CAM / 45 & 52 minutes versions available
directed by Claudia Pöchlauer

Synopsis

For most people Albania is a blank spot on the map of Europe. Completely isolated from the outside world for decades by an extreme, communist regime, the country is still suffering from its negative image. Television reports of over-crowded ships carrying thousands of Albanian refugees and the chaos and anarchy in 1997, when even children took up arms, conjure up the image of a corrupt Balkan state, in which gratuitous violence, organised crime, blood feuds and grinding poverty predominate. But this image does not reflect the reality: Albania has largely overcome the crisis of its first post-communist years.

The film takes a look at this unknown, new Albania and reveals a country with a fascinating landscape, centuries of ancient culture and one of the most dynamic and young societies in south-east Europe. It describes the development of Tirana from an urban Moloch to become a colourful, lively metropolis, but also tells of the hard lives of people in the suburbs, in the remote mountains of northern Albania and mining communities.
Albania’s development towards democracy and becoming a constitutional state is documented by MJAFT! (“Enough!”), an organisation founded in 2002, which succeeded in making an increasing number of people aware of the political and social injustices in the country and taking the appropriate civil action.
____________________________________________________________________________________

LAURA´S STAR AND THE MYSTERIOUS DRAGON NIAN