Angelika Spangel

Sleepwalker tells three stories against the backdrop of a New Year's Eve: Lola and Paul, who drift aimlessly through the city and provoke complete strangers. Simon and Marie, who spend the evening with Simon's professor and his wife, gaining an ominous insight into their own possible future. And the teacher Karin, who spends the night with her student Fuad. A small panorama of a society on the brink of a turning point. A film about the fear of inner stagnation, while history has picked up full speed again after decades of order. The conflicts of 2020 loom on the horizon, but are still too abstract to be perceived as a serious threat. Somewhere, far away in downtown Vienna, thousands of people are celebrating a boisterous party, but our characters see no reason to join in.

Sand and Blut shows the recent history of Iraq and Syria – from the perspective of those who have come to Europe in recent years. Whether it is the conquest of their own village by Syrian regime troops, the crimes perpetrated by various rebel groups or the destruction of their own parents' homes, war refugees can watch these tragedies in videos broadcast over the internet. The film consists exclusively of videos filmed by activists, fighters and civilians. The protagonists comment on the footage and speak openly about their experiences.

In the microcosm of a small village, paths and fates cross. A car is burning at the roadside, pigs are dying in their sties and a man is lying on a park bench. Is he dead? Who is to blame, who is responsible and when did the playful mood turn sour?

Whoever wants to die goes to the Grimmelstein. But Naomi is the only one there all by herself - she is desperately looking for her boyfriend Max. Her calls go unanswered, her screams are swallowed up by the fog, Max is nowhere to be found. Didn't they want to do it together? Naomi slowly begins to doubt whether love is really stronger than death.