PRODUCTION / FUNDING Germany / Austria
Maria Speth shooting Man lebt, weil man geboren ist
- Inspired by the writings of André Müller, the new feature explores silence, memory and the burden of 20th-century history through an intimate mother-son confrontation
German filmmaker Maria Speth is currently shooting her new feature, Man lebt, weil man geboren ist (lit. “One Lives Because One Is Born”), her first fiction project since the Berlinale award-winning documentary Mr Bachmann and His Class [+see also:
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Set in Vienna in 1989, the film revisits the life and writings of Austrian journalist and author André Müller, known for his uncompromising interviews with major cultural figures. The story follows Müller as he returns to his hometown to conduct an interview with his mother, Gerta, intended for publication in a leading weekly newspaper. During this tense encounter, Müller seeks to break decades of silence and unearth long-buried family secrets that intertwine with the political and moral legacy of 20th-century Austrian-German history.
Austrian actor Andreas Lust (The Eremites [+see also:
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interview: Benjamin Heisenberg
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The script, penned by Speth and cinematographer Reinhold Vorschneider, is adapted from Müller’s own text of the same title, which was first performed as a stage play in 1997. Speth is best known for her second feature, Madonnas, which received multiple awards, and for her next feature, Daughters [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], which premiered in the Berlinale’s Forum section in 2014. Her documentary Mr Bachmann and His Class celebrated its world premiere in competition at the Berlinale in 2021.
Filming began in Cologne and Vienna at the end of October and will continue until the end of November, spanning 28 shooting days. The cinematography is handled by Vorschneider, while editing will be carried out by Speth and David Maria Vogel. Renate Martin and Andreas Donhauser are responsible for the production and costume design. Tobias Schinko and Antoine Schweitzer serve as sound engineers, and Marc Wächter as production manager. Marion Rossmann and Helen Dreesen act as green film consultants. The film’s original music is composed by Tina Haller & Band.
Man lebt, weil man geboren ist is a German-Austrian co-production staged by Christian Bachmann and Maria Speth for Berlin-based company Madonnen Film GmbH, in co-production with Veit Heiduschka and Julia Heiduschka for Vienna-based Wega-Filmproduktionsgesellschaft mbH, and Daniel Ehrenberg for eyrie entertainment, in collaboration with ZDF/ARTE and MMC Movies. The project has received support from the DFFF, FFA, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Hessen Film & Medien, BKM, the Austrian Film Institute and Film Fund Vienna. The feature is slated for completion in autumn 2026, with a theatrical release planned for 2027 in Germany via Grandfilm Verleih.
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