''Abendland'' is a 2011 documentary film by Nikolaus Geyrhalter. The documentary, which has only scenes at night, explores European obsession with technology and security. It was released in Austria and Germany in 2011 and in the United States in 2012.

Critical reception

Manohla Dargis of '' The New York Times'' called ''Abendland'' a "visually precise and politically amorphous" portrait of an

imagined community An imagined community is a concept developed by Benedict Anderson in his 1983 book '' Imagined Communities'' to analyze nationalism. Anderson depicts a nation as a socially-constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves as ...

: "The overall impression is a vision of Europe as a mosaic, as an artful amalgam of perfectly framed, seemingly disconnected moments during a long shared night, give or take a time zone change or two." Nick Pinkerton, reviewing for '' The Village Voice'', describes the documentary, "The film's principal subjects are the eurozone's service and security industries, showing a continent busy saving its citizens from themselves." Pinkerton compared ''Abendland'' to the works of other Austrian directors

Ulrich Seidl Ulrich Maria Seidl (born 24 November 1952 in Vienna) is an Austrian film director, writer and producer. Among other awards, his film ''Dog Days'' won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice in 2001. His 2012 film '' Paradise: Love'' competed for the Palme ...

and

Michael Glawogger Michael Glawogger (3 December 1959 – 23 April 2014) was an Austrian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. From 1981 to 1982, Glawogger studied at the San Francisco Art Institute, and from 1983 to 1989 at the Vienna Film Academy. Lik ...

in how they show "under-the-hood images of the global economy’s workings".

Notes

References

External links

* 2011 films 2010s German-language films 2011 documentary films Austrian documentary films Films directed by Nikolaus Geyrhalter Films shot in the Czech Republic Films shot in London Films shot in Germany Films shot in Belgium Films shot in the Netherlands Films shot in Vienna Films shot in Switzerland Films shot in Spain Films shot in Rome Documentary films about technology {{Austria-film-stub