The Edukators

Colour, 35 mm
Austria, Germany, 2004, 126 min
Section: Special Events

Synopsis

Jan and Peter are at the age when rebellious moods take over. It seems to them it would be good and courageous to change the world. Jan, the most radical and politically active of the three, galvanises his flatmate Peter and Peter’s girlfriend – a waitress named Jule who has no reason to be satisfied with her miserable wages. The members of the local yacht club become the target of their non-violent, witty, but disturbing “educational” assaults. When Peter leaves for the summer, Jan and Jule set their sights on the successful businessman Hardenberg, with whom the girl has an account to settle. The target is his pretentious villa. Events, however, which till then they had firmly under control, begin to work against them. They figure out how to solve the resulting situation but they need Peter´s help to carry out the plan. And suddenly their previous, almost carefree activities become a daring and dangerous game with the law.

About the director

Hans Weingartner (b. 1970, Feldkirch) was born in Austria and studied neurology at the University of Vienna, subsequently specialising in neurosurgery in his further studies at the Steglitz Klinik of Berlin University. During his medical studies (1991-97) he began to work as assistant cameraman, and from 1997-2001 undertook postgraduate studies in film direction at the Academy of Art in Cologne. He made his debut two years ago with The White Noise (Das weisse Rauschen), which brought him a number of prizes, including the prestigious Max Ophüs and German Film Critics Awards for Best Debut (2002); the film also helped make a name for Daniel Brühl, who took the role of a young schizophrenic. Weingartner´s second feature, The Educators (Die fetten Jahre sind vorbei), was shown in competition at the Cannes IFF.