Contact High

Colour, 35 mm
Austria, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, 2009, 96 min
IP – International premiere
Section: Official Selection - Out of Competition

Synopsis

Hans and Max would like to corner the local hotdog market, whereas Harry would prefer to be pampered by his muscular auto mechanics. But a bag with mysterious contents interrupts everyone’s plans, and the group of improbable thieves and gangsters suddenly finds itself in Poland’s Drogomyśl. The comic plane results not only from multiple misunderstandings and absurd situations, but also from the overall wackiness of the various protagonists. They bring the Polish locations to life similar to Kusturica’s effect on the Balkans, and Glawogger shows how to create a work of magical realism in Central Europe in which anything, thanks to the unique narrative perspective, can truly happen. The goal here is the journey itself, full of drug trips and unequivocal assignments which no one can fulfill. It is a journey during which, out of the blue, a redheaded taxi driver might fall in love with you. And if you’re no longer bothered by what Jules and Vincent had in that glowing briefcase in Pulp Fiction, this movie will set your head buzzing once again.

About the director

Michael Glawogger (b. 1959, Graz, Austria) graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute and the Vienna Film Academy. He first established himself as a creator of experimental and short films, following these up with documentaries from all corners of the world. Megacities (1998) and France, Here We Come! (Frankreich, wir kommen!, 1999) screened at Karlovy Vary in the Forum of Independents section, and Workingman’s Death (2005) was distributed in Czech theaters. In 2006 the director competed at the Berlin IFF with the feature Slumming, which was also presented at the KVIFF. The gangster comedy Contact High shares affinities with Glawogger’s Slugs (Nacktschnecken, 2004) and confirms his reputation as a director capable of traveling not only between continents but also genres.