Viennale Erste Bank Film Award Screenings: Adrian Goiginger’s Rickerl
Saturday, August 17 – Monday, August 19
Anthology Film Archives
32 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Adrian Goiginger is one of the two recipients of the 2023 Erste Bank Film Award, which he received for his film Rickerl at the 2023 Viennale. On the occasion of his residency at Deutsches Haus at NYU, Deutsches Haus co-presents, together with Anthology Film Archives, Erste Bank, and the Austrian Cultural Forum New York, three screening of Rickerl (2023), on August 17, 18, and 19, at 7 PM. Adrian Goiginger will be present at the screenings.

“Rickerl: Musik ist höchstens a Hobby” A film by Adrian Goiginger. 2023, 104 min, DCP. In German with English subtitles.

Adrian Goiginger offers a warts-and-all portrait of Rickerl Bohacek, an aging singer-songwriter who can’t seem to get it together. Played by Austropop revivalist Voodoo Jürgens, Rickerl is effortlessly charming, if a bit of a mess. He spends most of his time drinking in pubs with old friends and thwarting the efforts of the consultant at the employment office. Rickerl can’t even be bothered to transcribe his songs onto actual paper, keeping his entire ‘career’ on scraps of junk mail. The worst part of the artist’s self-sabotage: his music is actually very good, a collection of closely observed portraits of dignified losers much like himself. The only thing keeping Rickerl from blowing his life up completely is his love for Dominik (Ben Winkler), his six-year-old son. While Dominik’s mother Viki (Agnes Haussmann), Rickerl’s ex-girlfriend, provides stability, Rickerl is the fun parent who takes him on surprise adventures, some of which are admittedly ill-advised. But as Rickerl blows numerous opportunities, those around him begin to wonder if he can be a proper father. Goiginger’s wry script and Jürgens’s dishevelled performance depict a self-destructive talent who may only have one more chance.

Screenings will take place at Anthology Film Archives on August 17, 18, and 19 at 7 PM. The filmmaker will be present for an audience Q&A following the screening.

Please buy the tickets at the box office.