Alma and Oskar, a movie from Austria, will open the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which will take place in Goa from November 20 to November 28.
This biopic centres on the passionate and turbulent relationship between Australian artist Oskar Kokoschka ((1886-1980)) and Viennese society Grand Dame Alma Mahler (1879-1964). The movie, which was directed by Dieter Berner, lasts 110 minutes in total.
It is only right that IFFI 53 opens with a movie about a romance between a composer and an artist since the festival aims to fully honour cinematic art. After the passing of her first husband, composer Gustav Mahler, Alma had already started dating architect Walter Gropius when up-and-coming painter Oskar Kokoschka came across her.
Alma and Oskar a great beginning to IFFI 53 Festival
Alma starts a passionate relationship with Oskar Kokoschka because she doesn’t want to be with another man who will limit her ability to express herself creatively. Their bond is so unique that Kokoschka built his most well-known painting on it. Their’stormy’ and ‘tumultuous’ relationship, which has been described as, is the subject of the movie.
Director Dieter Berner is a renowned Austrian film and theatre director, actor and screenwriter. He became known nationwide in Austria as a director with the six films of the award-winning Alpensaga, a family and village chronicle that ran from 1976-1980. He received international acclaim for his film Berliner Reigen(2006) based on Schnitzler’s theater-play Der Reigen.
Alma and Oskar is scheduled for Sunday, 20th November, at INOX, Panaji.