Year: 1983
Director: Ruth Beckermann
Country: Vienna
Language: German
When it comes to the rise of socialism, its collapse, and the rise of fascism in the post World War I period we mostly get movies, fictional or otherwise, from a German perspective. This makes sense, as Germany was the main villain, the cause of most of Europe's problems, during World War Two. Wien Retour gives us a unique perspective from the capital of Austria.
In 1924, 14-year-old Franz Weintraub and his parents--along with some 60,000 other Jews--moved to the Jewish area of Leopoldstadt in Vienna, Austria. A journalist and gifted storyteller, Weintraub recalls his experiences as a young Jew in inter-war Austria from 1924 to 1934.
During the 1920's-1930's Austria's capital was known as "Red Vienna"due to its internationally acclaimed social democratic government. Radical changes in the revenue and spending policies of the city took place, which resulted in a revolutionary welfare sector. This and more is told in Wien Retour, which is part talking head interview and part archive footage.
Franz Weintraub is a well spoken, intelligent, charismatic individual who gives a pretty comprehensive account of events that took place while he was a young adult. Considering he is in his 70's during the production of the film, he has an impressive memory. The archival footage is equally impressive. The images shown are powerful and do an incredible job at giving us a glimpse into history.
Wein Retour is a film that needed to be made to preserve a time in history that should not be forgotten. I must admit, previous to this picture I had not known much about Vienna during this time, but I was glad to learn a great amount today.
No Rating (This history is too valuable to rate)
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