Reza Rasouli
Directing
Biography
Reza Rasouli is an Iranian-Austrian filmmaker, director, and screenwriter, based in Vienna. He is a graduate of the Vienna Film Academy. In his films, he explores themes of family, migration, and belonging, working with an observant and restrained visual language. His short films have screened at major international festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs ShortFest, and Sarajevo, and have received several awards, including the First Steps Award, a prestigious German prize supporting emerging filmmakers.
Known For
Lost in thought in the midsummer heat, Georg suddenly has only one goal. To make his huge, overgrown garden beautiful again at the weekend. But as he spends his days alone in the house he once shared with his ex-wife Sieglinde, who comes to visit at the end of the weekend, he has to deal not only with the garden, but also with absurd visits, memories, nosy neighbours and himself.
A Wave Standing Still
Three friends from Tehran are dropped off by their smuggler near the Austrian border. They have to spend the night in the Slovakian forests until the next truck picks them up. The prospect of a new future drives the three of them on despite the harrowing journey. Over the course of the night, the group is confronted with a drastic twist of fate.
Night of Passage
Tamim, a Syrian father in Vienna, actually just wants to return a lost wallet in the club. But what begins as a well-intentioned act plunges him into a chaos of misunderstandings and moral conflicts.
Found & Lost
During their short ride together, a cab driver and his passenger, a young woman, are each consumed by their own worries and problems.
Arriving
Two teenage friends are roaming the neighborhood together and are having a conversation. The boy asks his friend about her headscarf, as a joke he rips it off her head and drives away. Afraid of the consequences of being seen, the girl runs after him. The unusual chase leads the two of them to new insights and a bit more openness.