(Half) The Time Of My Life
German title: Mein Halbes Leben
2008, 93 minutes – part I
NOW ON DVD
GO TO THE FILM AS VOD HERE »ABOUT THE FILM
Today, if you haven’t made it by 30 it’s all over.
Filmmaker Marko Doringer has decided to go on a very personal mission: he is 30 years old, hasn’t achieved anything in life, and has just lost his first molar. Bodily decay has begun, youth is disappearing fast. What else is there in life before it’s all over?
Marko will visit old friends, his parents, and their friends to find out whether they are better off than him. Why does being 30 have to be this hard? Marko questions the meaning of life with perceptive irony. He relentlessly confronts his protagonists with both the large and small questions of humanity: why is it so difficult accepting the success of others? Why it is so difficult to accept one’s own?
(Half) The Time Of My Life is an ironic self-portrait of a whole generation – the happily depressed; a real life version of a coming-of-age novel of our present, and Marko’s future.
Awarded “Best Austrian Documentary”
-
Read the jury’s decision
Great Diagonale Film Prize ‘08 | Jury statement:
An interim filmic statement on midlife. The filmmaker believes himself to be in a state of crisis and goes on a journey to search for the reasons. He speaks to old school friends and relatives, letting them talk and talking about himself as well. So far it sounds like the usual lamentation on the meaning of life. But from this constellation Marko Doringer has created a clever and funny tour d’horizon on growing up, mobility and persistence, utopias and being “realistic”.
The confidentiality and openness inherent as a matter of course in the dialogues he conducts derives from Marko Doringer’s own filmic method: he works with the smallest possible team, wielding the camera himself, pointedly stimulating the dialogue to create an intense communicative space, into which the audience is drawn without ever feeling uncomfortable. In an almost casual way, the film not only tells the story of his generation but also addresses issues significant for our society today: the dissolution of family bonds and material security, the shifts in value systems, and the unreasonable demands on modern and flexible women and men. An intimately personal film for everyone.
Christine A. Maier (Director of Photography, AT)
Werner Ruzicka (Head of Duisburger Filmwoche, DE)
Elisabeth Scharang (filmmaker, AT)
Diagonale, April 03, 2008
FURTHER INFORMATION
-
POSTER
-
FACTS
GERMAN TITLE:
Mein Halbes LebenCOMPLETION:
January 2008WORLD PREMIERE:
April 03, 2008 | Diagonale | Graz (Austria)INT. PREMIERE:
October 26, 2008 | Internt. Documentary Filmfestival | Jihlava (Czech Republic)LENGTH:
93 minutesORIGINAL LANGUAGES:
German, EnglishVERSIONS:
OmU Deutsch, OwS English -
CREDITS
with
Katha H. & Ingo F.
Martin O. & Tanja Z.
Thomas & Gitti B.
Etty & Heinz D.
Marko D.writer, director & camera: Marko Doringer
script consultants: Andres Veiel, Klaus Charbonnier
sound: Johannes Schmelzer-Ziringer
editing: Marko Doringer, Martin Hoffmannmusic: Les Hommes Sauvages
sound design, sound mix: Markus Böhmcolor correction: Till Beckmann
motion graphics: Daniel Flax
production consultant: Ronny Zuckermann
line producer: Markus Glaserproducers:
Marko Doringer | Filmfabrik
Markus Glaser, Michael Kitzberger, Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Wolfgang Widerhofer | Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion -
REVIEWS
“This film is a godsend!”
DER STANDARD“One of the funniest, wisest, grooviest and most moving films of the past few years.”
SKIP“In its best moments, it’s like a Woody Allen film.”
TAZ“Hilarious!”
DER TAGESSPIEGEL“Ironic, engaging and funny.”
SHOW ROYALE – RADIO EINS BERLIN“Rarely has an audience been laughing so hard despite the gravity of the subject.”
kino-zeit.de“Straight-up and genuine.”
KULTUR ONLINE“Deftly funny.”
EBUCO-
Other REVIEWS
“A remarkably multi-layered portrait of a generation.”
Programmkino.de“Sensitive and intimate.”
jetzt.de/ Süddeutsche Zeitung“A gripping and exciting film.”
Oberösterreichische Nachrichten“A thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable film about contemporary lifestyles.”
critic.de
-
-
FEEDBACK
“Your films perfectly portray how our generation experiences life.”
DANIELA“Heart-warming, human and funny. Thanks for this gem of a film!”
JOANNA“Marko Doringer’s films have somehow made a big impression on me and my girlfriend.”
THOMAS“Enthusiastic!”
FLO“A thousand thanks for this great film.”
GREGOR“The film speaks from the heart, is so authentic and is so spot on.”
PARIS -
FESTIVALS
Hof International Film Festival ´08
GermanDiagonale ´08
AustriaDuisburg ´08
GermanyJihlava ´08
Czech RepublicLa Rochelle ´09
FranceTrieste International Film Festival ´09
ItalyNew Berlin Film Award ´09
GermanyBolzano Film Festival ´09
Italy
FEATURED MUSIC
→ Les Hommes Sauvages
. by Kristof Hahn (Swans)
YOUR FEEDBACK
Tell me your thoughts about my work.
Marko Doringer
Katha's Fashion
→ km/a mode
. by Katha Harrer
AWARDS
Best Austrian Documentary Film
Grand Diagonale Prize 2008
Best Documentary Film
New Berlin Film Award 2009
Best Documentary Film
Bolzano Film Festival 2009
Best Documentary Film/ honorary mention
Trieste Film Festival 2009
AUDIENCE TESTIMONIALS
“Your films perfectly portray how our generation experiences life.”
DANIELA
“Heart-warming, human and funny. Thanks for this gem of a film!”
JOANNA
“Marko Doringer’s films have somehow made a big impression on me and my girlfriend.”
THOMAS
“A thousand thanks for this great film.”
GREGOR
PRESS & REVIEWS
“This film is a godsend!”
DER STANDARD
“Ironic, engaging and funny.”
SHOW ROYALE – RADIO EINS BERLIN
“One of the funniest, wisest, grooviest and most moving films of the past few years.”
SKIP
“Straight-up and genuine.”
KULTUR ONLINE
Project Partners
Funded by
Government of Lower Austria
Austrian Film Institute
Government of Styria
Funded by
Government of Salzburg
City of Salzburg
Theatrical release supported by
Austrian Film Institute
Filmfonds Vienna
Produced by
Filmfabrik Marko Doringer film production
& NGF Nikolaus Geyrhalter film production
© Austria | Germany 2008
PAST DATES
COMPLETION
April 2008
WORLD PREMIERE
April 03, 2008 | Diagonale | Graz (Austria)
INT. PREMIERE
October 26, 2008 | Int. Documentary Filmfestival | Jihlava (Czech Rebulic)
INT. FILMFESTIVAL HOF
October 22, 2008 | Hof (Germany)
DUISBURGER FILMWOCHE
November 07, 2008 | Duisburg (Germany)
TRIESTE FILMFESTIVAL
January 20, 2009 | Trieste (Italy)
INT. FILMFESTIVAL BOLZANO
March 2009 | Bolzano (Italy)
ACHTUNG BERLIN!
April 2009 | Berlin (Germany)
LA ROCHELLE FILMFESTIVAL
June 2009 | La Rochelle (France)
Theatrical Release
January 01, 2009 | polyfilm | Austria
October 08, 2009 | movienet | Germany
TV transmissions
August 2009 | YLE
October 29, 2010 | ARTE
March 14, 2013 | ORF III
SOCIAL MEDIA