Life Guidance

58th TIFF: Greek Premiere

In a dystopian society in the not-so-distant future, a private company named “Life Guidance” has the task to “correct” the behavior of the middle class people who are not “functional” enough. Alexander is one of these people working in the financial sector and feeling blissed out in their own bubble, until one day a wrong word he tells his kid activates the defence mechanism of this well-tuned capitalist system. A dark allegory that converses with the Orwellian universe in an unexpected fashion.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Ruth Mader

Script: Ruth Mader, Martin Leidenfrost

Cinematography: Christine A. Maier

Editing: Niki Mossböck

Sound: Heinz K. Ebner, Nils Kirchhoff, Karim Weth

Music: Manfred Plessl

Actors: Fritz Karl, Katharina Lorenz, Florian Teichtmeister

Production: KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production

Producers: Gabriele Kranzelbinder

Art Direction: Renate Martin, Andreas Donhauser / Donmartin Supersets

Costumes: Tanja Hausner

Make Up: Michaela Payer

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Austria

Production Year: 2017

Duration: 101'

Contact: Picture Tree International

Ruth Mader

Ruth Mader studied Directing at the Film and Television Department of the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She graduated with Distinction from Michael Haneke's Master Class. In 1999 she was awarded with the Max Ophüls Prize for her short film Gfrasta. She was invited to the Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival four times: in Cinéfondation section with Null Defizit (2001); in Un Certain Regard section with her feature film debut Struggle (2003); in Tous les Cinémas du Monde section with Gfrasta (2005); and in the L’Atelier program with her screenplay SERVIAM – Ich will dienen (2007). In 2012 Mader’s film What Is Love premiered in the Forum section of the Berlin International Film Festival. Her numerous international awards include the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) and a nomination for Cannes’ Caméra d’Or.