Screened as part of NZIFF 2022

Family Dinner 2022

Directed by Peter Hengl

Executive produced by Incredibly Strange’s very own Ant Timpson, this twisty Austrian shocker begins as a tension-filled Haneke-esque family drama before delivering full-blown folk horror delight.

Austria In German with English subtitles
97 minutes DCP

Director, Screenplay

Producer

Lola Basara

Executive producers

Ant Timpson, Annick Mahnert

Cinematography

Gabriel Krajanek

Editor

Sebastian Schreiner

Music

Peter Kutin

Cast

Pia Hierzegger (Claudia)
,
Nina Katlein (Simi)
,
Michael Pink (Stefan)
,
Alexander Sladek (Filipp)

Festivals

Tribeca, Sydney 2022

Elsewhere

Insecure and overweight, 15-year-old Simi travels to her Aunt Claudia’s country house to spend the Easter weekend. Claudia is a well-known nutritionist who has written several best-selling health books and Simi hopes that her aunt can help her with her diet. But the reception is far from warm and Simi finds herself troubled by the creepy family dynamics.

Aunt Claudia, who is working on a secretive new cookbook, puts her on an extreme detox diet and threatens dire consequences for any cheating. Claudia’s new husband Stefan is friendly but makes Simi uncomfortable, while cousin Filipp is an obnoxious and spoiled brat, eating his fill every evening while Simi must starve. Soon enough Simi starts to uncover secrets she may wish had stayed buried as the tension-filled family drama gives way to full-blown folk horror. Michael McDonnell

“Peter Hengl’s unnerving, dread-filled powder keg of a film is also one of the most impressive genre debuts in years. Hengl takes his time doling out the psychological horror, using precise character work and intense performances to engulf viewers within a fraught maelstrom of body insecurities and emotional manipulation before gut-punching them with one disturbing shock after another.” Matt Barone, Tribeca Film Festival 2022

Declaration of Interest
The staff and trustees of NZIFF congratulate Incredibly Strange programmer Ant Timpson on his involvement in this film as Executive Producer.