„Addiction is when you have something, and then you want to have it again, badly.“
Adrian Wachter, 7 years old.
The true story of a drug-addict mother, her child‘s adventurous world, and their love for one another.
Adrian lives through an adventurous childhood in the extraordinary milieu of the drug scene on the outskirts of an Austrian city, with a mother moving between caring and being high. When he grows up he wants to become an adventurer. Despite everything, this a sheltered childhood, the best of all worlds, until the outside world can no longer be kept outside. Helga realizes she might lose her son forever unless she can kick her habit. But first she must defeat her own demons…
In his debut film director Adrian Goiginger tells his own story and creates a homage to his mother, a strong woman in spite of the difficult circumstances. In the film we meet not only new discovery, 8-year old Jeremy Miliker, but also Austrian shooting star Verena Altenberger (Magda macht das schon, Die Hölle), who was awarded Best Austrian Actress at the Diagonale festival for her role in The Best of All Worlds.
Content
Adrian is seven and for him the outskirts of Salzburg are a big and exciting land of adventure. He spends a lot of time with his mother and, as he says himself, he is never bored. For the young Adrian it is normal that Helga, her partner Gunter and their friends, who are in the apartment almost every day, with the light blocked out by bed-sheets hung over the windows, are throwing wild parties beside the River Salzach before sleeping for half the day.
Helga offers fantastic reasons for everything Adrian might consider strange, and her imaginative son incorporates her explanations into his tales of adventure. In some way this could be considered a sheltered childhood: The imaginative boy knows his mother loves him and she creates the best of all worlds for him.
Again and again Helga decides to fight her heroin addiction, and again and again she finds herself exposed to the demands of everyday life. When her dealer dies of an overdose in her apartment, the outside world cannot be kept outside any longer. Helga realises she could lose her son forever unless she can kick her habit.
In his debut film director Adrian Goiginger tells his the story of his childhood from the perspective of a seven-year old who feels sheltered and protected in spite of it all. It is a touching as well as unsparing homage to his mother, a strong woman who always tried to defy the difficult circumstances. Goiginger succeeds in creating a unique story about love, at the same time offering an authentic study of people who have fallen into drug abuse.
“If you absolutely want to, then you can become an adventurer. If you really, really want to do it, you can become an adventurer.”
Helga Wachter
“A truthful movie about unconditional love. What a discovery!” Kleine Zeitung
“An excellent example that drama and audience popularity are not mutually exclusive…everyone loves this movie.”
Wiener Zeitung
“Such a truthful and truly stirring film is rare. Adrian Goiginger has produced a masterpiece.
kino-zeit.de
“A movie full of humour and hope.” Salzburger Nachrichten
A production of RitzlFilm and Lailaps Pictures GmbH
in co-production with SWR and ORF
Sponsored by ÖFI, MFG, Stadt and Land Salzburg
Length: 103 Min
Format: 1:1.85 / 2k / colour / dolby surround 5.1. / DE – EN subtitles
Copyright: Ritzfilm and Lailaps Pictures 2017
Distribution Austria Polyfilm
Distribution Germany Filmperlen
