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Festival 2023
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The Standstill

The Standstill

137' 2023
dir.: Nikolaus Geyrhalter

A truly grand film and a comprehensive and unexpected portrait of a world that stood still as monumentally captured by the master of cinematic aesthetics. 

Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s latest documentary methodically and comprehensively examines the phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic. The multidimensional quandary of a society suddenly confronted with a gigantic challenge is reflected in the refined frames typical of his films. From empty streets to overcrowded hospitals, from conversations with exhausted gravediggers to noisy anti-vaccine rallies, the Austrian filmmaker gradually adds more pieces to the puzzle, trying to comprehend this extraordinary time of fear and hope, the most difficult choices, and longing for community. Standstill shows how individuals, groups and the state adapt to extreme situations, creating various defense mechanisms. It draws attention to the unapparent consequences of the pandemic, which will remain with us for a very long time. 

Konrad Wirkowski 

Festivals
2023 DOK Leipzig
Tickets and passes
137' 2023 Austria
Director
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Cinematography
Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Editing
Gernot Grassl
Production
NGF - Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion GmbH
Screenings