L'Animale

{{Short description|2018 film by Katharina Mückstein}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox film

| name = L'Animale

| image = L'Animale (2018) poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Katharina Mückstein

| producer = {{plainlist|

  • Nikolaus Geyrhalter
  • Markus Glaser
  • Michael Kitzberger
  • Flavio Marchetti
  • Katharina Mückstein
  • Michael Schindegger
  • Natalie Schwager
  • Wolfgang Widerhofer

}}

| screenplay = {{plainlist|

  • Katharina Mückstein

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Bernhard Fleischmann

| cinematography = Michael Schindegger

| editing = Natalie Schwager

| studio = {{Plainlist|

  • Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion{{Cite web |title=L'Animale |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/film/346370/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110030/https://cineuropa.org/en/film/346370/ |url-status=live }}
  • La Banda Film

}}

| distributor = Polyfilm Verleih

| runtime = 100 minutes

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2018|02|18|Berlin Film Festival|ref1={{Cite web |title=L'Animale |url=https://www.austrianfilms.com/film/lanimale |website=Austrian Film Commission |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224084435/https://www.austrianfilms.com/film/lanimale |url-status=live }}|2018|03|16|Austria|ref2={{Cite web |title=L'Animale |url=https://filminstitut.at/en/movies/lanimale |website=Austrian Film Institute |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110027/https://filminstitut.at/en/movies/lanimale |url-status=live }}}}

| country = Austria

| language = German

| budget =

| gross =

}}

L'Animale is a 2018 Austrian coming-of-age drama film{{Cite web |last=Kiang |first=Jessica |date=1 March 2018 |title='L'Animale' Review: Berlin Film Festival |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/lanimale-review-1202714081/ |website=Variety |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110025/https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/lanimale-review-1202714081/ |url-status=live }} written and directed by Katharina Mückstein, starring {{ill|Sophie Stockinger|de}}. The film made its world premiere at the 68th Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section on 18 February 2018. It was released in theaters in Austria by Polyfilm Verleih on 16 March 2018. The film received six nominations at the 2019 Austrian Film Award, including Best Film and Best Actress.

Plot

In rural Austria, 18-year-old Mati is a tomboy who struggles with gender identity and sexuality, only hangs out with boys and is a member of a motocross gang that causes trouble in the region. Mati's best friend, Sebastian, suddenly wants to be more than a friend, at the same time that Mati meets Carla, a self-confident girl who is completely different from her. Meanwhile, Mati's parents struggle with a long-kept secret.

Cast

  • {{ill|Sophie Stockinger|de}} as Mati
  • Kathrin Resetarits as Mutter
  • Dominik Warta as Vater
  • Julia Franz Richter as Carla
  • Jack Hofer as Sebastian
  • Dominic Marcus Singer as Kogler
  • Simon Morzé as Mark
  • Stefan Pohl as Felix

Production

The film was co-produced by the Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion and La Banda Film. Director Katharina Mückstein also wrote the screenplay for the film. The score was composed by Bernhard Fleischmann.

The title, L'Animale, comes from the 1985 Italian song of the same name performed by Franco Battiato, which is featured in the film.{{Cite web |last=Petković |first=Vladan |date=21 February 2018 |title=Review: L'Animale |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/348253/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110028/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/348253/ |url-status=live }}

Director Katharina Mückstein wrote the role of Mati especially for {{ill|Sophie Stockinger|de}}.{{Cite web |last=Waculik |first=Tanja |date=27 September 2016 |title=Pressbaum als "Klein-Hollywood": Kinofilm wurde im Wienerwald gedreht |trans-title=Pressbaum as "Little Hollywood": The movie was shot in the Vienna Woods |url=https://www.meinbezirk.at/purkersdorf/c-lokales/pressbaum-als-klein-hollywood-kinofilm-wurde-im-wienerwald-gedreht_a1871729 |website=meinbezirk.at |language=German |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224080431/https://www.meinbezirk.at/purkersdorf/c-lokales/pressbaum-als-klein-hollywood-kinofilm-wurde-im-wienerwald-gedreht_a1871729 |url-status=live }} L'Animale marks their second collaboration following the 2013 film Talea. Mückstein said she wanted to write another screenplay featuring Stockinger. "I always knew that L'Animale would be about a young girl and I also wanted to talk about the conflict we face between rationality and passion. I knew that it would be a feminist film that dealt with gender and gender identity, because I studied gender before going to film school. I worked on the screenplay for two years, and the story underwent a lot of changes before reaching its final form".{{Cite web |last=Lemercier |first=Fabien |date=20 December 2018 |title=Katharina Mückstein • Director of L'Animale |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/364880/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=21 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221181757/https://cineuropa.org/en/interview/364880/ |url-status=live }}

Stockinger had to learn to ride a bike for the motocross scenes.

Mückstein said in a director's statement that L'Animale is her personal answer to the question of how free we, as modern people, really are. She said: "We want to please and be respected. We are sensitive and are often afraid. However, authenticity requires confrontation, emancipation demands effort, progress needs courage. Individual resistance, the courage to liberate one's identity and sexuality… is the greatest revolutionary potential in our times."{{Cite web |last=Hopewell |first=John |date=5 February 2018 |title=Berlinale: First Trailer of Panorama's 'L'Animale,' Sold by Films Boutique (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/global/berlinale-first-trailer-panorama-lanimale-films-boutique-1202686962/ |website=Variety |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224115412/https://variety.com/2018/film/global/berlinale-first-trailer-panorama-lanimale-films-boutique-1202686962/ |url-status=live }}

= Filming =

Filming began in Vienna, Austria on 8 July 2016 and wrapped on 23 September 2016.{{Cite web |title=L'Animale, Feature Film, 2016-2018 |url=https://www.crew-united.com/en/projekte/displayProjectdata.asp?IDPD=214463 |website=Crew United |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110027/https://www.crew-united.com/en/projekte/displayProjectdata.asp?IDPD=214463 |url-status=live }}

The shooting locations in Lower Austria, where the shoot took place in September 2016, included a farm in Gablitz and a house in Pressbaum, both communities bordering the community of Purkersdorf.{{Cite web |last=Gruber-Dorninger |first=Martin |date=21 September 2016 |url=https://www.noen.at/purkersdorf/filmkulisse-in-pressbaum-und-action-in-pressbaum-23589736 |trans-title="And Action" in Pressbaum |title="Und Action" in Pressbaum |website=Noen.at |language=German |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922005303/https://www.noen.at/purkersdorf/filmkulisse-in-pressbaum-und-action-in-pressbaum-23589736 |url-status=live }} In Pressbaum, a modern house that was almost completely built was chosen as Matis' parents' house. Regarding the choice of locations in Lower Austria, Mückstein explained: "Places also radiate something between the lines, you can tell whether it's near a city or very far away. Here it was important to tell the story of the outskirts of the commuter belt, where young people have an idea of the city but don't regularly go there where there are many new influences."

Release

The first trailer for the film was unveiled on 5 February 2018. The film made its world premiere at the 68th Berlin Film Festival on 18 February 2018 in the Panorama section, and it also competed for Teddy Award, a separate section from the festival.{{Cite web |title=L'Animale {{!}} Teddy Award - The official queer award at the Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://teddyaward.tv/en/archive?a-z=1&select=L&id_film=780 |website=teddyaward.tv |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224080432/https://teddyaward.tv/en/archive?a-z=1&select=L&id_film=780 |url-status=live }} It was released in theaters in Austria by Polyfilm Verleih on 16 March 2018. The film was screened at AFI Fest 2018 as part of the New Auteurs section.{{Cite web |date=4 October 2018 |title=AFI Fest Presented by Audi Announces New Auteurs and Independents Lineups |url=https://www.afi.com/press/afi-fest-2018-presented-by-audi-announces-new-auteurs-and-american-independents-lineups/ |website=afi.com |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110025/https://www.afi.com/press/afi-fest-2018-presented-by-audi-announces-new-auteurs-and-american-independents-lineups/ |url-status=live }}

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 88% based on 8 reviews, with a weighted average of 7/10.{{Cite web |title=L'Animale |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lanimale |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=20 September 2024 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224012033/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lanimale |url-status=live }}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width: 100%;"
Year

! Award / Festival

! Category

! Recipient(s)

! Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

rowspan=13|2018

| AFI Fest

| Audience Award - New Auteurs

| rowspan=5|Katharina Mückstein

| {{nom}}

|

rowspan=2|Berlin International Film Festival

| Teddy - Best LGBT Feature Film

| {{nom}}

|

Panorama Audience Award - Fiction Film

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |title=L'Animale - Panorama Special 2018 |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/2018/programme/201811922.html |website=berlinale.de |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110030/https://www.berlinale.de/en/2018/programme/201811922.html |url-status=live }}

rowspan=2|Cinema Jove - Valencia International Film Festival

| Best Film

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |title=L'Animale |url=https://www.geyrhalterfilm.com/en/lanimale |website=Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813000030/https://www.geyrhalterfilm.com/en/lanimale |url-status=live }}

CIMA Award - Best Film Directed by a Woman

| {{won}}

| {{Cite web |date=29 June 2018 |title='L'animale', de Katharina Mueckstein, Premio CIMA en Cinemajove 2018 |url=https://cimamujerescineastas.es/lanimale-de-katharina-mueckstein-premio-cima-en-cinemajove-2018/ |website=CIMA Asociación de mujeres cineastas y medios audiovisuales |language=Spanish |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229200545/https://cimamujerescineastas.es/lanimale-de-katharina-mueckstein-premio-cima-en-cinemajove-2018/ |url-status=live }}

Diagonale Festival of Austrian Film

| Best Ensemble Cast

| Sophie Stockinger, Kathrin Resetarits, Dominik Warta, Julia Franz Richter, Jack Hofer, Dominic Marcus Singer, Simon Morzé, Stefan Pohl

| {{won}}

| {{Cite web |last=Boas |first=Matthew |date=19 March 2018 |title=Murer - Anatomie eines Prozesses scoops Best Austrian Feature Film at the Diagonale |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/350238/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229200545/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/350238/ |url-status=live }}

Jerusalem Film Festival

| FIPRESCI Prize - International First Film

| rowspan=4|Katharina Mückstein

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |title=2018 Jerusalem Film Festival {{!}} Debuts |url=https://jff.org.il/en/lobby/debuts-0 |website=Jerusalem Film Festival |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224080441/https://jff.org.il/en/lobby/debuts-0 |url-status=live }}

Seoul International Women's Film Festival

| Best Film

| {{won}}

|

Mezipatra Queer Film Festival

| Grand Jury Prize - Feature Film Competition

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |title=L'Animale {{!}} International Feature Film Competition |url=https://www.mezipatra.cz/en/festival/history/2018/schedule/7-2018/film/933.html |website=Mezipatra Queer Film Festival |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224080437/https://www.mezipatra.cz/en/festival/history/2018/schedule/7-2018/film/933.html |url-status=live }}

rowspan=2|Les Arcs Film Festival

| Best Narrative Feature

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |last=Lemercier |first=Fabien |date=7 November 2018 |title=120 European films to be showcased at Les Arcs |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/362986/ |website=Cineuropa |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110025/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/362986/ |url-status=live }}

Best Original Score

| Bernhard Fleischmann

| {{won}}

| {{Cite web |title=Palmarès 2018 {{!}} Les Arcs Film Festival |url=https://lesarcs-filmfest.com/fr/programmation/palmares-2/18 |website=Les Arcs European Film Festival |date=22 December 2017 |language=French |access-date=23 December 2022 |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223110035/https://lesarcs-filmfest.com/fr/programmation/palmares-2/18 |url-status=live }}

Queer Film Festival Munich

| Best Film

| rowspan=3|Katharina Mückstein

| {{nom}}

|

Zurich Film Festival

| Golden Eye - Best Film in Focus Switzerland, Germany, Austria

| {{won}}

|

rowspan=8|2019

| rowspan=6|Austrian Film Award

| Best Feature Film

| {{nom}}

|

Best Actress

| Sophie Stockinger

| {{nom}}

|

Best Cinematography

| Michael Schindegger

| {{nom}}

|

Best Film Editing

| Natalie Schwager

| {{nom}}

|

Best Sound Editing

| Hjalti Bager-Jonathansson, Karim Weth, Alexander Koller

| {{nom}}

|

Best Score

| Bernhard Fleischmann

| {{won}}

|

Palm Springs International Film Festival

| New Voices/New Visions Grand Jury Prize

| rowspan=1|Katharina Mückstein

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |date=14 December 2018 |title=30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Announces Festival Line-Up |url=https://www.psfilmfest.org/news/30th-annual-palm-springs-international-film-festival-announces-festival-line-up-including-opening-night-film-all-is-true-and-closing-night-film-ladies-in-black |website=Palm Springs International Film Society |access-date=24 December 2022 |archive-date=24 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224080432/https://www.psfilmfest.org/news/30th-annual-palm-springs-international-film-festival-announces-festival-line-up-including-opening-night-film-all-is-true-and-closing-night-film-ladies-in-black |url-status=live }}

Romy Gala

| Best Upcoming Actress

| Sophie Stockinger

| {{won}}

|

2020

| Prix Europa

| TV Fiction

| Katharina Mückstein

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web |date=10 September 2020 |title=Acht ORF-Nominierungen beim Prix Europa 2020 |trans-title=Eight ORF nominations at the Prix Europa 2020 |url=https://der.orf.at/unternehmen/aktuell/prix_europa_2020_100.html |website=ORF |language=de |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229200551/https://der.orf.at/unternehmen/aktuell/prix_europa_2020_100.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=10 September 2020 |title=Prix Europa 2020 - List of Nominations |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a5f53c9e5dd5bbc01b296f1/t/5f59c42a59ab3511edd7d2f6/1599718445395/PRIX+EUROPA+2020_List+of+Nominations.pdf |website=Prix Europa |page=1 |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=10 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910120739/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a5f53c9e5dd5bbc01b296f1/t/5f59c42a59ab3511edd7d2f6/1599718445395/PRIX+EUROPA+2020_List+of+Nominations.pdf |url-status=live }}

References

{{reflist}}