Emotional, sensual and elegant are fitting ways to describe Christoph Hochhäusler’s “The City Below” (Unter dir die Stadt). In it he portrays a cold, male-dominated world, ruled by power and money. Nicolette Krebitz gives a convicing performance as a fun-loving wife of a banker, who turns her husbands capitalistic morals upside down. Christoph Hochhäusler (“Falscher Bekenner”, “Milchwald”) is fascinated by the parallel universe called “the banking system”, whose inhabitants suck our society dry like vampires. “The banking world is a strong metaphor for modern use of power. Work is done in a very abstract way, which still has enormous influence on our everyday lives. Still: There is no blood shed on the trading floor” explains the director. He was inspired in part by the biblical story of King David summoning Bathseba into his bedchamber while her husband was fighting for his kingdom.

The film will be released this autumn by Piffl Medien. After a successful world premiere at Cannes “Unter dir die Stadt” opens the 17th Oldenburg International Film Festival on Wednesday September 15th at 7.30pm at a new location: The Fliegerhorst Oldenburg. Guests the evening will be Nicolette Krebitz and other famous faces as well as the festival’s two guests of honor Radley Metzger and Timothy Bottoms.

“German Independence Award – Best German Film”
“The City Below” (Unter dir die Stadt) doesn’t only open the four days of cinema glory but is also one of the four nominees for the “German Independence Award – Best German Film”.

The Drifter (Eine flexible Frau):
Tatjana Turanskyj brings an empathic portrait of a fragile yet emancipated woman onto the screen. The director questions our contemporary social dynamic and lays bare the false hopes of those who struggle on their way through the jungle of expectations for modern women. The film will be released on November 4th by Filmgalerie 451.

Picco:
The film is based on a true story and shows with condensed images and storytelling the prevailing sadism and brutality in a youth prison. Philip Koch never puts the blame solely on one side but rather questions the whole microcosm of the penal system. Picco is his feature debut and will be released nationwide on November 25h by Movienet Film. The film has won awards at the Max Ophüls Festival and was screened in Cannes in the Sektion Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.

This Will Be Life (Morgen das Leben):
Alexander Riedel’s laconic and sensual portrait of a city and the lost souls inhabiting it is equally beautiful and depressing. Loneliness and desperation compound into an explosive mixture that will go off anytime. The film is Riedel’s feature debut and will be released in Germany by Movienet Film this autumn.
You can find materials for the films at: www.filmfest-oldenburg.de/presse/downloads/Best regardsSabina Poppen, Christine Strüver & TeamOldenburg International Film Festival| Contact: +49.441.2178595 | presse@filmfest-oldenburg.de | www.filmfest-oldenburg.de