The Habsburg Dynasty had ruled large parts of Europe and the world for 650 years. During World War I, however, the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire sowed the seeds of its own demise. At the height of World War I, the world of the Habsburgs was on the brink of collapse. Almost exactly 100 years ago to the day, in April 1918, the most sensitive diplomatic mission of the First World War became a Europe-wide scandal: the so-called "Sixtus Affair". Secret negotiations between the Austrian imperial family and France were supposed to bring peace to the Danube monarchy – and their failure caused the war to escalate and the Habsburgs to fall.
How Germany was when its people entered the nightmare of World War II? Despair and fear lead a hungry population to follow the chilling call of just one man to world domination. A real-life horror story, an ominous tale of violence and deception, which takes place from 1919 to 1934. (Entirely made up of restored, colorized archival footage.)
Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter faces the threat of execution for refusing to fight for the Nazis during World War II.
Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands as a prisoner of war. He escapes with a fellow detainee and makes his way to Llaso, Tibet, where he meets the 14-year-old Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his outlook on life.
Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Viennese composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
"The Road to War" uses elaborate and fascinating computer-generated recreations and archives never seen before to examine how the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 was used by the Austro-Hungarian Empire to start a war against Serbia. The film investigates how this regional conflict involving the Central Powers and the Triple Entente escalated to become "World War I", a war with more than 17 million dead and More than 20 million injured.
Endphase tells the story of one the last WWII massacres which was not spoken about for 75 years. In the night of 2 May 1945, 228 Jewish women, children and old men were murdered in Hofamt Priel, a small village in Austria. The perpetrators were never found. The film is a journey into the past of the neighbouring communities Persenbeug and Hofamt Priel, where the brothers Hans and Tobias Hochstöger grew up. In search of an explanation they speak with the last local eyewitnesses and find Yakov Schwarz, the last survivor, and his family in Israel.
Mutig in die neuen Zeiten - Im Reich der Reblaus
In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison.
After an elaborate application process, Empress Elisabeth of Austria hires Countess Irma as her new lady-in-waiting and takes her to her summer residence on Corfu. As the two women become closer there, this soon leads to tensions back in Vienna.
By combining actual footage with reenactments, this film offers both a documentary and fictional account of the life of Adolf Hitler, from his childhood in Vienna, through the rise of the Third Reich, to his final act of suicide in the waning days of WWII. The film also provides considerable, and often shocking, detail of the atrocities enacted by the Nazi regime under Hitler's command.
On September 10, 1898, Sisi, the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, was stabbed to death with a sharpened file by Italian anarchist Luigi Lucheni. The successful fiction about Sisi by Norbert Beilharz is based on Elisabeth's inner monologue and, subjectively, on many events in her life.
Elisabeth of Austria is a German movie with Lil Dagover as royalty Elisabeth who has many men to choose from.
Vice Lieutenant Eismayer is the most feared trainer and model macho in the Austrian Military and lives as a gay man in secret. When he falls in love with a young, openly gay soldier, his world gets turned upside down.
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
A 14-year-old video enthusiast obsessed with violent films decides to make one of his own and show it to his parents, with tragic results.
A Zen priest in San Francisco and cookbook author use Zen Buddhism and cooking to relate to everyday life.
Das weiße Abenteuer
Leopold, head waiter at the "Weißen Rössl" (White Horse Inn), is secretly in love with the owner of the restaurant, Josepha. But she's only interested in the lawyer Dr. Siedler. Jealous, Leopold comes up with a plan to gain Josepha's attention.
Kurt Hoffmann′s satire concerning Germany′s development during the first half of the 20th century tells the story of two schoolmates - Hans and Bruno. They could not be more different. While Hans is ambitious and must always work hard for his career, it seems that the happy go lucky Bruno is carefree.