Monte Verità

GER 2021
Director: Stefan Jäger
Cast: Maresi Riegner, Max Hubacher, Julia Jentsch, Hannah Herzsprung, Joel Basman, Philipp Hauss

116 Min. | OmeU
Vorpremiere
International

An atmosphere of fear and stagnation, paired with the longing for societal changes and freedom marked the early 20th century. Hanna, a young mother, is also caught in these stressful circumstances. She lives in a solid marriage in Vienna and has, unlike most contemporaries, no existential worries. However, this seemingly fulfilled life takes such a toll on her that she is sent to the sanatorium on Monte Verità. There she meets not only the young Hermann Hesse and many other personalities from the art scene, but also learns what it means to live a self-determined life. But can she return to her family without having to part with this new idea of a perfect existence. Wonderful performances and a sophisticated interplay of present and flashbacks to the protagonist‘s former life create a convincing closeness. Stefan Jäger tells the story of the legendary hideout from society where people like Herrmann Hesse, Ida Hoffmann and Lotte Hattemer tried an alternative to the industrialized world as a fable that is deeply rooted in the here and now.