Der Knochenmann

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Horvath has disappeared. The final leasing instalments on his car haven’t been paid and this is why he must be found. Brenner accepts his old friend Berti’s lousy assignment and sets off on a long journey into the country. A forwarding address leads him to a fast food restaurant where, every week, thousands of bony remains of Viennese breaded fried chicken are left behind. These leftovers are ground into bone meal and added to the chickenfeed of future generations of fried poultry. No sooner does Brenner arrive on the scene than events come to a head. Horvath is still missing. So too is his car – although Brenner did at least catch a glimpse of it. Brenner begins to fall in love with kitchen manager Birgit, who is unfortunately married to the restaurant manager’s son. Brenner asks him to find out where the money goes that his Dad takes out of the till. It winds up in the hands of a prostitute in Bratislava – and in those of a pimp who is blackmailing the old man on account of a hushed up misdemeanour. The old restaurateur decides to add the pimp to his in-house food chain, and Brenner is asked to abduct the prostitute from Bratislava. No sooner does he return from his business trip, than things begin to get decidedly difficult for Brenner. The masked ball is in full swing at the village hall and the villagers – comfortably anonymous behind their masks – are letting it all hang out. Meanwhile, there’s lovemaking and murder going on down in the cellar. And then, all of a sudden, Berti appears. In the end there are corpses swinging in the cellar and wailing women – and Brenner’s just glad that he didn’t lose his head.

details

  • Runtime

    121 min
  • Country

    Austria
  • Year of Presentation

    2009
  • Year of Production

    2008
  • Director

    Wolfgang Murnberger
  • Cast

    Josef Hader, Josf Bierbichler, Birgit Minichmayr, Christoph Luser, Simon Schwarz, Dorka Gryllus, Pia Hierzegger, Stipe Erceg, Ivan Shvedoff, Edita Malovcic, Gerti Drassl, Martina Zinner
  • Production Company

    DOR Film Produktionsgesellschaft m.b.H.
  • Berlinale Section

    Panorama
  • Berlinale Category

    Feature Film

Biography Wolfgang Murnberger

Born in Vienna’s Neustadt district on 13.11.1960, he studied screenwriting, directing and editing at the College of Music and Performing Arts. He has been working as a freelance screenwriter and director since 1990. He was a guest of the Berlinale in 2004 when his film, SILENTIUM, was shown, and again in 2006 with LAPISLAZULI – IM AUGE DES BÄREN

Filmography Wolfgang Murnberger

1990 Himmel oder Hölle | 2004 Silentium | 2006 Lapislazuli - Im Auge des Bären | 2011 Mein bester Feind

Biography Josef Hader

Born in Waldhausen, Austria in 1962. An award-winning comedian, writer and actor, he attended the Melk monastery school and abandoned a degree in teacher training after initial success as a political comedian. In 1991 he co-wrote the satirical play ‘Indien’ with Alfred Dorfer, playing the lead in its screen adaptation in 1993. His first leading role was in the theatrical film Cappuccino Melange in 1992. He has toured extensively with solo shows in German-speaking countries. From 2001 he played private detective Brenner in screen adaptations of Wolf Haas’ crime novels. In 2016 he played author Stefan Zweig in Maria Schrader’s film Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe.