''Indien'' is a 1993 Austrian

tragicomic Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms. Most often seen in dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the overall mood or a serious ...

road movie A road movie is a film genre in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the theme of alienatio ...

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

Paul Harather Paul Harather (born 30 March 1965 in Mödling, Lower Austria) is an Austrian film director, producer and screenplay author. He is considered one of the early artists in Austria's new wave film (1990s to the present). Harather studied at the Univ ...

. It was Austria's submission to the

66th Academy Awards The 66th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1993 and took place on March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p. ...

for the

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

, but it was not nominated.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences It is one of the most successful films of Austrian Cinema and has developed a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

Plot

The main characters are Heinz Bösel (Josef Hader) and Kurt Fellner (Alfred Dorfer), who work for the tourist office in

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

assessing

guesthouse A guest house (also guesthouse) is a kind of lodging. In some parts of the world (such as the Caribbean), guest houses are a type of inexpensive hotel-like lodging. In others, it is a private home that has been converted for the exclusive use o ...

s. Bösel is fond of beer and occasionally ill-behaved, while Fellner is more intellectual and refined, constantly asking his colleague

Trivial Pursuit ''Trivial Pursuit'' is a board game in which winning is determined by a player's ability to answer trivia and popular culture questions. Players move their pieces around a board, the squares they land on determining the subject of a question t ...

questions. However, they gradually bond as they travel around Austria. Later in the film, Fellner is taken ill and is diagnosed with advanced

testicular cancer Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility. Risk factors include an u ...

. Bösel helps Fellner fulfil his last wishes, which include playing on an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

and going into the woods one last time to hear the birds. Fellner dies in his friend's arms, but the film ends optimistically when Bösel meets an Indian man who seems to be the reincarnation of his friend.

Awards

* Thomas Pluch Screenplay Prize to Alfred Dorfer and Josef Hader, 1993 * Grand prize of the

Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California since 1986. The festival boasts screenings of over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. SBIFF al ...

in 1994 * At the Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis in 1994, Prize of the Saarland Premier to director Paul Harather, and audience prize * Österreichischer Filmpreis in 1994

Cast

Josef Hader Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people: * Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher * Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...

- Heinzi Bösel *

Alfred Dorfer Alfred Dorfer (; 11 October 1961) is an Austrian comedian, writer, and actor. He is one of the most well-known cabaret artists and comedians in Austria, not least due to his commitment to numerous Austrian film productions. After initial success ...

- Kurt Fellner *

Karl Markovics Karl Markovics is an Austrian actor and film director. He was born in Vienna, Austria. Biography Markovics' mother worked as a clerk and his father was a bus driver. Markovics did not want to go into a professional career but wanted to become a ...

- Kirchingerwirt

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1993 films 1993 comedy-drama films 1990s German-language films Austrian comedy-drama films

Plot

Awards

Cast

See also

References

External links