Fernsehfilme I

During Fernsehfilme I, two films by Austrian filmmaker Seidl are screened. Are the characters chasing their dreams? Or, unlike most people, are they prepared to believe in true happiness with exceptional tenacity? And where is that happiness to be found? In Die letzten Männer and Spass ohne Grenzen, ordinary people step in front of the camera to talk about their dreams, expectations and frustrations.

Die letzten Männer
Many European men, it turns out, are looking for women who still fit into traditional gender roles. So too are the Austrian gentlemen Seidl places in front of his tightly framed camera. They hope to find their ideal mail-order bride from the Philippines or Thailand via catalogue, but reality turns out to be quite different.

Spass ohne Grenzen
You can also reshape an otherwise less-than-cheerful reality by immersing yourself in theme park culture, part of what is so aptly called the Unterhaltungsindustrie in German. That is precisely what Mrs Spohler-Claussen from Hanover does. She leads director Seidl and his crew through every nook and cranny of Europapark in Baden-Württemberg, Germany's largest theme park. Everyone is constantly smiling, except the employees.