Zagreb Film Festival

Great Freedom

  • Sebastian Meise
  • Austria, Germany
  • 2021
  • 116'
  • Grosse Freiheit

In post-war Germany, Hans (Franz Rogowski – Victoria, Undine, Transit) is repeatedly incarcerated because of the infamous Article 175 that treats male homosexuality as a criminal act. Having survived the Nazi concentration camp, in 1945, Hans is transferred directly to prison, where he meets Victor (Georg Friedrich – Bright Nights, Silver Bear for Best Actor), a convicted murderer. During Hans’s frequent returns, the initial animosity between the two men evolves into something akin to love. Great Freedom is Austria’s Oscar candidate and this year’s Jury Prize winner in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.

Subtitles: EN, HR

Sebastian Meise

An Austrian director and screenwriter. Co-founder of Vienna based production company FreibeuterFilm. His acclaimed debut feature, Still Life (2011), premiered at San Sebastián Int’l Film Festival. His documentary Outing (2012) was presented at Hot Docs in Toronto. His second feature film, Great Freedom (2021), won Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard program in Cannes.

Great Freedom

Director
Sebastian Meise
Screenplay
Thomas Reider, Sebastian Meise
Cast
Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich, Anton von Lucke, Thomas Prenn
DOP
Crystel Fournier
Editing
Joana Scrinzi
Producer
Sabine Moser, Oliver Neumann, Benny Drechsel
Production
FreibeuterFilm, Rohfilm Productions
Festivals & Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2021 – Un Certain Regard Jury Prize; Sarajevo Film Festival 2021 – Best Feature Film, Best Actor, CICAE Award; São Paulo Int'l Film Festival 2021; BFI London Film Festival 2021; Chicago Int'l Film Festival 2021; Film Fest Gent 2021; Busan Int'l Film Festival 2021; Filmfest Hamburg 2021; Zurich Film Festival 2021

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