Ewald moved to Romania years ago. Now in his 40s, he seeks a fresh start. Leaving his girlfriend, he moves to the hinterland. With young boys from the area, he transforms a decaying school into a fortress. The children enjoy a new, carefree existence. But the distrust of the villagers is soon awoken. And Ewald is forced to confront a truth he has long suppressed. Austrian provocateur Ulrich Seidl's controversial Sparta is the brother film to Rimini, and the conclusion of the director's diptych about the inescapability of the past and the pain of finding yourself. Official Selection: San Sebastian, Viennale, Ji.hlava.
TRT: 101 min
"Genuinely tragic and affecting." —Morris Yang, International Cinephile Society
"Solidifies Ulrich Seidl as a great explorer of human vices and weaknesses in rough fictions that maliciously tamper with reality." —Carlos Bonfil, La Jornada
"[Seidl's] movies breathe with a feeling of authenticity. Often perceived as a cross-genre between fiction and reality... the seemingly documentary style of his features is spellbinding." —Margareta Hruza, Modern Times Review
"Gesturing towards the Austrian legacy of WWII, Seidl presents the two brothers, whose narratives are underpinned by critiques of masculinity and neo-colonialism, as differing personifications of a stunted national psyche." —Mike Thomas, Cinema Scope
"Sparta, which addresses such a sensitive topic, portrays, in a style bordering on documentary, a being imprisoned by his impulses... [It] may make us uncomfortable or displease us, but no one should prevent us, as viewers, from having the option of watching it." —Alfonso Rivera, Cineuropa
(Available to download after screening date)