Matthias Ditscherlein is no stranger to the Hof International Film Festival. In 2021, he was there to present Kinomann, a documentary about film projectionist Helmut Göldner, who has been delighting people with his mobile cinema for more than 60 years. The subject of his new feature-length doc, Über Unterbiberger, which has just had its world premiere at the Franconian film festival, is just as delightfully quirky: they are the Himpsl family, a Bavarian folk-music ensemble, who travel the world with their tunes, uniting people and musical influences from different cultures.

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Most people would associate Bavarian folk music with boring tradition and beer tents, rather than with cosmopolitanism. But Ditscherlein’s film and the Himpsls themselves – father Franz, mother Irene, and sons Xaver, Ludwig and Franz Jr – prove this preconceived idea wrong. Franz, a former music and athletics teacher, and Irene founded the Unterbiberger Hofmusik in 1992, before their youngest son had even been born. Franz, who had many Turkish pupils in his class, was struck by the idea of incorporating Turkish elements into Bavarian music to motivate them to learn the songs.

Although he was initially criticised for his unusual approach, the family band soon did the same, which helped them reach a wider audience. Since its beginnings, the ensemble has released 11 albums, played concerts in more than ten countries, and collaborated with renowned musicians such as Grammy nominees Claudio Roditi and Bobby Shew.

For this film, Ditscherlein accompanied the family over several years on tour in Morocco, Iran and Egypt, but also at home in Bavaria. Tour scenes alternate with sequences from Franz's home region of Lower Bavaria: One day, he visits schoolchildren in Marrakesh, then we see him on a hike to the Brotjacklriegel mountain or with his former primary-school teacher in Schöfweg. The different scenes create a striking visual contrast, from an old television tower in the foggy forest to the pyramids in the dusty desert – yet the images are woven together in a way that just fits. Ditscherlein takes the audience on a mesmerising visual and musical journey, which might – just like the Himpsls’ music – also bring joy to audiences outside of Germany.

While the film does show aspects of family life, it centres mainly on Franz, who is himself full of inner contrasts. Conversations reveal that he was different even as a child, enjoying breaking with tradition and provoking others, often to their annoyance. He came from humble beginnings in the Bavarian Forest and moved to Munich – from the Woid to the world, so to speak. At times, Franz feels like a migrant without a migrant background, trying to justify his way of life. For him, music is the language that helps him feel understood. He compares it to culinary art – it has to be properly seasoned, without turning it into fast food.

From time to time, the family acts as a corrective force when the father comes up with yet another unusual idea, such as delivering an impromptu Arabic lesson during a concert at a village festival. Things like this risk polarising people in Bavaria. Nevertheless, the documentary could have gone into more detail about the family dynamics. The ensemble appears harmonious, but it cannot be easy to function as a band and leave all their private problems backstage. One cannot help but wonder: “How do they do that?”

Über Unterbiberger was produced by Matthias Ditscherlein for Kippelsteiner Filme, in cooperation with Himpsl Records.