Import export
by Ulrich Seidl
Austria, 2007, 135', colour
Import: Olga, a young nurse in the Ukraine, looks for a better life in the West. She emigrates to Austria and becomes a cleaning lady in a geriatric hospital, where an 82 year old patient proposes to her.
Export: Paul, a young Austrian ex-security guard is looking for a reason to get up in the mornings and heads East with his stepfather to try his luck. They end up in the Ukraine, where alcohol and girls are abundant.
Reviews
"With dazzling humor and an humanity appearing at the most unexpected moments."
Tobias Kniebe, SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
"Perfectly shot and with stark beauty."
Jacques Mandelbaum, LE MONDE
"A masterful drama."
Russel Edwards, VARIETY
"Seidl´s eye for the grotesque makes him the Diane Arbus of world cinema, and this was often startling, horrible and brilliant."
Peter Bradshaw, GUARDIAN
"Brilliant."
A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
"One of the most intense experience of the Cannes program."
Verena Lueken, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE
"An astonishing film. (...) so fierce and fearless."
Sukhedev Sandu, THE TELEGRAPH
"Ulrich Seidl turns his camera on what one does not want to see, and in such a forceful manner that one can no longer look away. He protects his characters and actors with a deep humanist sensibility, (...) a form of humanism that takes each individual, his sorrows and humiliations seriously while remaining at a distance. Seidl´s images offer a completely unique world-view."
Katja Nicodemus, DIE ZEIT
"We want to turn away, but it is all so compelling that we can´t."
Peter Brunette, SCREEN INTERNATIONAL
"A masterfully composed drama that explores themes of morality and mortality in a manner that’s squalid, surprising and often transcendent."
Jason Anderson, EYE WEEKLY
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Trailer
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Ulrich Seidl
Born 1952, Ulrich Seidl lives in Vienna, Austria. He is the director of numerous award-winning documentaries such as “JESUS, DU WEISST” (JESUS, YOU KNOW), “MODELS” (MODELS) and “TIERISCHE LIEBE” (ANIMAL LOVE). His work methods, achieving the greatest authenticity possible and showing people in the most solitary and private moments has raised intense debate. His first fiction feature, “HUNDSTAGE” (DOG DAYS) won the Grand Jury Special Prize at the 2001 Venice Film Festival and his second fiction feature film IMPORT EXPORT premiered In Competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
FILMOGRAPHY
2012 PARADISE : LOVE, Fiction, 120 min.
2007 IMPORT EXPORT, Fiction, 141 min.
2003 JESUS, YOU KNOW, Documentary, 87 min.
2002 A STATE OF THE NATION: AUSTRIA IN 6 CHAPTERS,
Documentary, 87 min.
2001 DOG DAYS, Fiction, 121 min.
1999 MODELS, Fiction, 118 min.
1998 SPASS OHNE GRENZEN, Documentary, 45 min.
1997 THE BOSOM FRIEND, Documentary, 60 min.
1996 ANIMAL LOVE, Documentary, 120 min.
1996 BILDER EINER AUSSTELLUNG, Documentary, 45 min.
1994 THE LAST REAL MEN, Documentary, 60 min.
1992 LOSSES TO BE EXPECTED, Documentary, 118 min.
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Cast
Ekaterina Rak - Olga
Paul Hofmann - Paul
Michael Thomas - Stepfather
Crew / Technical Info
Crew
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Script: Ulrich Seidl, Veronika Franz
Country of Production: Austria
Year Completed: 2007
Production company: Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH
Director of Photography: Ed Lachman, Wolfgang Thaler
Editing: Christof Schertenleib
Art Designer: Alexandra Maringer, Julia Oberndorfinger
Sound: Ekkehart Baumung, Matz Müller
Technical Information
Category: Feature Film/ Fiction
Original language: German, Russia, Slovakian
Format: 35mm (blown up from 16mm) / colour
Screen Ratio: 1:1:66
Speed: 25 frames/second
Sound: Dolby SRD
Number of reels: 7
Footage: 3713m
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Festivals
PREMIERE
 | Cannes 2007, Competition |
MAIN AWARDS
Bangkok 2007, Best Film
Yerevan 2007, Best Film
Bratislava 2007, Best Actors
MAIN SELECTIONS
Karlovy Vary 2007, Competition
London 2007, Competition
Toronto 2007, Competition
Rotterdam 2008, Competition
|
Ulrich SeidlBorn 1952, Ulrich Seidl lives in Vienna, Austria. He is the director of numerous award-winning documentaries such as “JESUS, DU WEISST” (JESUS, YOU KNOW), “MODELS” (MODELS) and “TIERISCHE LIEBE” (ANIMAL LOVE). His work methods, achieving the greatest authenticity possible and showing people in the most solitary and private moments has raised intense debate. His first fiction feature, “HUNDSTAGE” (DOG DAYS) won the Grand Jury Special Prize at the 2001 Venice Film Festival and his second fiction feature film IMPORT EXPORT premiered In Competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. |
Austria
Import: Olga, a young nurse in the Ukraine, looks for a better life in the West. She emigrates to Austria and becomes a cleaning lady in a geriatric hospital, where an 82 year old patient proposes to her.
Export: Paul, a young Austrian ex-security guard is looking for a reason to get up in the mornings and heads East with his stepfather to try his luck. They end up in the Ukraine, where alcohol and girls are abundant.
"With dazzling humor and an humanity appearing at the most unexpected moments."Tobias Kniebe, SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG"Perfectly shot and with stark beauty."Jacques Mandelbaum, LE MONDE"A masterful drama."Russel Edwards, VARIETY"Seidl´s eye for the grotesque makes him the Diane Arbus of world cinema, and this was often startling, horrible and brilliant."Peter Bradshaw, GUARDIAN"Brilliant."A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis, THE NEW YORK TIMES
"One of the most intense experience of the Cannes program."Verena Lueken, FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE"An astonishing film. (...) so fierce and fearless."Sukhedev Sandu, THE TELEGRAPH"Ulrich Seidl turns his camera on what one does not want to see, and in such a forceful manner that one can no longer look away. He protects his characters and actors with a deep humanist sensibility, (...) a form of humanism that takes each individual, his sorrows and humiliations seriously while remaining at a distance. Seidl´s images offer a completely unique world-view."Katja Nicodemus, DIE ZEIT
"We want to turn away, but it is all so compelling that we can´t."Peter Brunette, SCREEN INTERNATIONAL"A masterfully composed drama that explores themes of morality and mortality in a manner that’s squalid, surprising and often transcendent."Jason Anderson, EYE WEEKLY
Import : Olga, a young nurse in the Ukraine, looks for a better life in the West. She emigrates to Austria and becomes a cleaning lady in a geriatric hospital, where an 82 year old patient proposes to her.
Export : Paul, a young Austrian ex-security guard is looking for a reason to get up in the mornings and heads East with his stepfather to try his luck. They end up in the Ukraine, where alcohol and girls are abundant.
Ekaterina Rak - Olga
Paul Hofmann - Paul
Michael Thomas - Stepfather
Crew
Director: Ulrich Seidl
Script: Ulrich Seidl, Veronika Franz
Country of Production: Austria
Year Completed: 2007
Production company: Ulrich Seidl Filmproduktion GmbH
Director of Photography: Ed Lachman, Wolfgang Thaler
Editing: Christof Schertenleib
Art Designer: Alexandra Maringer, Julia Oberndorfinger
Sound: Ekkehart Baumung, Matz Müller
Technical Information
Category: Feature Film/ Fiction
Original language: German, Russia, Slovakian
Format: 35mm (blown up from 16mm) / colour
Screen Ratio: 1:1:66
Speed: 25 frames/second
Sound: Dolby SRD
Number of reels: 7
Footage: 3713m
PREMIERE
| Cannes 2007, Competition |
MAIN AWARDS
Bangkok 2007, Best Film
Yerevan 2007, Best Film
Bratislava 2007, Best Actors
MAIN SELECTIONS
Karlovy Vary 2007, Competition
London 2007, Competition
Toronto 2007, Competition
Rotterdam 2008, Competition
|
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