Synopsis

Kurt, a gentle optimist, has been ordered by a governmental authority to take over and operate a night club, ‘Angelique’, as his last chance to find gainful employment. Due to his moral principles, Kurt prevents any ‘normal’ night club business from occurring. One day Mario, a henchman, pays Kurt a visit. Mario threatens to take away the youngest prostitute Jasmin, whom Kurt has come to regard as a symbol of hope, unless Kurt makes more money. Kurt finally turns on his own conscience and blames it for everything while we are left to wonder whether it’s better to stand up or bow down to authorities.

About the film

Sch(m)erzgrenze invites the viewer to witness how the social and financial pressures of capitalism can trigger economic crises, humanitarian crises and the contemporary violence towards women prevalent throughout modern Europe. Though it is tempting to wander down this dark path in life; Sch(m)erzgrenze also shows us that it pays to struggle and keep hope. At least until we survive.

Executive Summary

Genre: Drama
Language: German, English
Shooting Location: Austria
Runtime: 35min
Format: Virtual Reality 360* / Digital 4K
In development


Team

writer
Georg Rittstieg

I have lived with the story of ‘Schmerzgrenze’ for many years now. It was born of my experiences as a relationship and marriage counselor and has found a new significance since my introduction to the GO! Pictures production team in 2015. The story builds on my personal and professional experiences and as such reflects much of what we all find common within humanity. The writing of ‘Schmerzgrenze’ is one of team sessions in which the goal is to shed light upon diverse social situations that nonetheless share the same fears and concerns.
For me ‘Schmerzgrenze’ makes a strong statement regarding our current political and social environment- one that hopefully exposes it’s problem areas. Reflecting on and learning from experience isn’t always easy, but if we want a better future for our children the time to start is now.

short bio


Georg was born in 1967 in Hamburg, Germany and has lived for the past 20 years in Graz, Austria where he works as relationship counselor and is training to become a psychotherapist. Inspired by his father, Georg has been writing prose and poetry since his youth, focusing on the theme of in/exclusion. Having been both twice married and divorced, the subject of human cohabitation and how it can be improved is one of Georg’s principle themes.
He is involved in a variety of media collaborations including Bar Camp Graz and several other projects as a writer. Since 2015 Georg has been working with GO! Pictures on the film ‚Sch(m)erzgrenze.’

designer & graphic artist
Iris A.M. Kirchner

Iris finished her Master Studies in ‘Visual Communication and Iconic Research’ at the Basel School of Design in 2011. She is passionate about typography and has solid foundation of experience in graphic design. Since 2011 Iris has been collaborating with GO! Pictures. She has also worked as a designer on various international film productions, advancing the use of typography in film. In 2013 Iris founded ‘Kiris Artworks’, a company that specializes in creating printed matter with a particular focus on typography and the use of graphics in film and VR.


www.kiris-artworks.com

director
Gero A.E. Egger

Gero began working in the film industry in 2003. He gained further production knowledge through his experiences in working for two award-winning New York based film production companies. In 2009 Gero founded GO! Pictures where he has worked with a variety of international professionals producing feature films, short films, corporate videos as well as music/art documentaries. Since 2015 his main focus turned to directing 360°/VR narrative because it opens up a widely untouched and promising artistic field as a filmmaker.

producer
Lisa Maria Wurzinger

Lisa Maria began gaining experience early in life as a performance artist. She started in a theatre before working in the Austrian TV industry as an arts reporter and presenter. In 2009 she joined GO! Pictures working on project basis. After working in various production roles in several international feature films she has begun to work as a producer for GO! Pictures. Lisa has a keen interest in Ethnology and how VR might influence social habits and traditions.


www.gopictures.at