Oase

The paintball pellets that classmates Lukas and Andi fire at each other leave bruises on their bodies. But that’s just the start of a series of games in which the teenagers test the boundaries of violence, courage, friendship and trust. Eventually, Maya joins the duo, with a video camera. While this old-fashioned tool is a symbol for the longing for control over your own image, the forest where they play is a symbolic escape from everyday life. The eerie sense that something dangerous might happen at any moment soon shapes the atmosphere of the film and the character of Andi in particular. Due to his peculiar and aggressive behaviour, he is an outsider in class. The situation escalates when a secretly recorded smartphone video of Andi in an intimate situation starts to circulate. Jannis Lenz’s debut feature is a coming-of-age-drama that focuses on the teenagers’ thoughts and emotions. The adults—headteacher, parents, an external coach—all seem like unguided missiles messing things up while assuming they will fix the situation with their standardised interventions. OASE explores the intuitive techniques of teenagers for dealing with group predicaments. (Anna Katharina Laggner)

In the presence of Jannis Lenz.

This film is part of the VIENNALE DEBUT CARD: Register for your free card now and get one ticket for this film at the special price of € 8,50. More Info here!

Jannis Lenz: SCHATTENBOXER (2015, K), SCHWERELOS (2016, K), WANNABE (2017, K), BATTLEFIELD (2020, K), SOLDAT AHMET (2021), GONZO (2023, K), BETONGEFLÜSTER (2024, K)