Qualtinger's Wien
Exemplary Viennese thoughts collected by a genius judge of character:
How many people fit into a hearse? In America even more. Right, America. They have different standards there.
I never call on the sick. Funerals are different – you know the outcome.
Sometimes I have an inkling for war - not a long one, but eventful. My idea of democracy? Shut up and smile.
I like the Chinese, they don’t make noise at night. One doesn’t chant drinking songs when high on opium.
That was a shot, for sure. You have to get used to it, living in a city.
I'm not into politics, but there's one thing I always wanted to ask my father: “Why can’t you bear the Jews, if you’re even able to put up with Germans?
Qualtinger's Wien observes upstarts, not-so-merry widows, kidnapped underwear manufacturers and other inmates of this strange city, caught between municipal housing and cemetery, coffeehouse and hot dog stand, amusement park and brothel. A 24-hour marathon, run by professional sourpusses.
HS
Out of all the Austrian playwrights, Qualtinger only took Horvath and Nestroy serious. I, on the other hand, take only the three of them serious. In the early eighties I came upon bundles of sketches at a publishing house, which, at that time, were unknown to the general public. Ever since, I desperately wanted to make a film out of those. Together with Alfred Dorfer I was finally able to go ahead with the project in 1997. We used about 50 of the sketches without adding a single word. Qualtinger's Wien also was my first TV film, and the first with a really large, top notch cast.
Exemplary Viennese thoughts collected by a genius judge of character:
How many people fit into a hearse? In America even more. Right, America. They have different standards there.
I never call on the sick. Funerals are different – you know the outcome.
Sometimes I have an inkling for war - not a long one, but eventful. My idea of democracy? Shut up and smile.
I like the Chinese, they don’t make noise at night. One doesn’t chant drinking songs when high on opium.
That was a shot, for sure. You have to get used to it, living in a city.
I'm not into politics, but there's one thing I always wanted to ask my father: “Why can’t you bear the Jews, if you’re even able to put up with Germans?
Qualtinger's Wien observes upstarts, not-so-merry widows, kidnapped underwear manufacturers and other inmates of this strange city, caught between municipal housing and cemetery, coffeehouse and hot dog stand, amusement park and brothel. A 24-hour marathon, run by professional sourpusses.
HS
Out of all the Austrian playwrights, Qualtinger only took Horvath and Nestroy serious. I, on the other hand, take only the three of them serious. In the early eighties I came upon bundles of sketches at a publishing house, which, at that time, were unknown to the general public. Ever since, I desperately wanted to make a film out of those. Together with Alfred Dorfer I was finally able to go ahead with the project in 1997. We used about 50 of the sketches without adding a single word. Qualtinger's Wien also was my first TV film, and the first with a really large, top notch cast.