Lensing Begins on ‘Atmen’ – Karl Markovics’ Directorial Debut

Best-known internationally for playing the lead in Stefan Ruzowitzky’s Foreign Language Oscar-winning 2008 film The Counterfeiters, Austrian veteran thesp Karl Markovics has taken on his first directorial task: the 47-year-old is helming a drama titled Atmen (To Breathe). The project which was announced at the beginning of the year, has now began principle photography.

Its gloomy story that centers on Roman, a troubled youth serving eight years for manslaughter. With bad outlooks for parole or resocialisation, he answers a job ad from public funeral services. Working as a pick-up person for corpses, one day he stands before a woman bearing the same family name. Even though he soon finds out that she was not his mother who gave him away when he was a small child, this encounter forces Roman to come to grips with his own origins.

With young actor Thomas Schubert in the main role (here’s a pic of the director with his lead), Markovics is shooting Atmen for Austrian EPO Film on location in Vienna until mid-December. The pic is set to be completed in March, 2011. As for a premiere venue: Diagonale, the national film festival in Graz, also takes place that month – you do the math.

Here’s Markovics circa 2008 –