3rd competition entry of the Ahrenshoop Film Nights by Michael Kofler (D/I/Ö 2025, 112 min) Followed by a discussion with the filmmakers
South Tyrol, 1961: The northern Italian region is shaken by a series of separatist bomb attacks. While the young farmer's son Paul wants to escape the lack of prospects in his village and study painting, his older brother Anton fights uncompromisingly to protect the German-speaking minority - with violence if necessary. After Anton is exposed as one of the assassins, he flees, leaving his farm and family behind. Paul reluctantly postpones his own plans in order to support Anton's wife Anna and their young son. In his cinema debut, director Michael Kofler takes a gripping and haunting look at the events surrounding the "Night of Fire" on June 11, 1961 in South Tyrol. Thomas Prenn and Laurence Rupp are convincing as the opposing brothers alongside Aenne Schwarz in the role of Anne.
MICHAEL KOFLER
Michael Kofler grew up in the Italian Alps of South Tyrol. He studied feature film directing in London and worked for several years for a leading film and TV production company. His short films and video works have been shown at various international film festivals. His feature-length debut ZWEITLAND, for which Michael Kofler also wrote the screenplay, celebrated its world premiere at the Munich Film Festival in June 2025. Michael Kofler: "ZWEITLAND is an 'anti-homeland film' that dares to look into a blind spot of the postcard idyll."
