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The first month of the year does not
offer much excitement. Usually businesses conduct inventory, an
always rather boring and tedious undertaking no one looks
forward to and everyone is glad when it is over.
After the many activities of the joyous Christmas season a
hibernation kind of effect sets in, a stage of being in limbo.
Going to movies one has missed during the hectic time, getting
to know the who and where and when for the entertainment scene,
planning a few concerts and operas all find a place in the month
of January. Any New Year’s resolutions have already been
forgotten, unless they came enforced by a reality check from the
doctor.
One of my resolutions was to get into better shape and I have
actually started that. But after years of not the best of health
it is slow in coming. However, I did manage a few
accomplishments. I even went out to see a Austrian/German
co-production at the Bell Light Box, the fabulous new venue of
the Toronto International Film Festival. “The Robber” will run
early February in that location in one of the cinemas there.
The film was shown with subtitles, something I quickly forgot
because I am German speaking. The film is fast moving, engages
the viewer totally and is a cross between a character portrait
and an action movie.
 The story is based on a book by Austrian Martin Prinz, who
documented the story of an actual bank robber with a remarkable
talent for running marathons. Director Benjamin Heisenberg
co-wrote the book for the film and gave it a slightly different
edge, made it psychotically more poignant and humanized the
rather violent individual of reality.
The film is shot in and around Vienna and has a fabulous
soundtrack that reflects the action and enhances its story line
dramatically. Andreas Lust is an agile runner/robber with a
remarkable ability to show variances in a persona that is
apparently pretty dead inside. His love interest is played by
Franziska Weisz with great sensitivity.
This film was nominated at the 60th Berlinale for a
Golden Bear and is very well worth seeing for its entertainment
value with a documentary quality.
Otherwise February has a Via Salzburg concert February 17 and 18
at the Glenn Gould Studio, and the start of Opera York’s
offering of Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” at the Richmond Hill
Centre for the Performing Arts February 27 and March 3 and 5. If
you would like to see the Schemeit story “How far to go home”,
it will be shown again, this time in Toronto at the St. Georges’
Lutheran Church on College Street, February 27.
Until next time
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
Sybille reports as a German-Canadian about culture, arts,
entertainment, community events from her unique perspective as an artist.
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