Josef Hader’s second directorial work, “Andrea Gets a Divorce”, is coming to cinemas. Here, two lonely people meet in an exceptional situation, which leads to darkly humorous dialogues and serious decisions.
Actually, the title of Josef Hader’s second film is misleading. Because Andrea wants to get a divorce, but that doesn’t happen anymore. Several unfortunate circumstances come together so that instead of Andrea, the divorcee, she becomes Andrea, the widow. But from the beginning…
Andrea (Birgit Minichmayr) is a patrol police officer in the Lower Austrian province. It won’t be long before she will disappear from here – away from her husband Andy, but also out of the beautiful yet desolate scenery and the idyllic yet monotonous country life. Even in her job, which takes her up and down the little-used country road day in and day out, nothing worth mentioning happens. And so she will soon be going to the police in the state capital. A decision that Andy doesn’t take well, as he still hopes for a reconciliation.
One dead, two “perpetrators”
After an evening of drinking, there is an argument between the married couple in front of the village pub, in which Andrea makes it clear to him that there is no turning back. This is followed a little later by a hard impact on the hood of her old Golf. Afterwards, Andy is dead and Andrea has fled the scene of the accident. When religious teacher Franz (Josef Hader) passed the spot shortly afterwards, he ran over Andy a second time, without realizing that he was already dead.
Believes he killed a person: Franz (Josef Hader).
(Photo: Majestic Film)
The dry alcoholic, not exactly kissed by life, love and happiness anyway, confesses to Andrea’s colleagues what he (didn’t) do. He wants to atone for Andy’s death, switches to self-destruction mode and, in the face of his alleged guilt, goes further and further into the downward spiral of loneliness, drinking and dreary pop nights in the village disco. This all happens in front of Andrea’s eyes, where her guilty conscience begins to rumble.
After his directorial debut “Wilde Maus” in 2017, “Andrea gets divorced” is the second directorial work by actor and cabaret artist Josef Hader. He chats from the narrative of a man who is no stranger to country life. Everyone thinks they know everything about the others, and yet everyone has their secrets. Life seems desaturated, slowed down and deserted of all good spirits. Anyone who comes from the village knows it – no matter in which province they grew up. For city dwellers, this may all seem a bit surreal and always a little sad.
Village people talk… little
Grief, frustration and emptiness in one look: Andrea (Birgit Minichmayr).
(Photo: Majestic Film)
Birgit Minichmayr’s look reveals the grief, frustration and emptiness that resides in Andrea and which she tries unsuccessfully to get rid of. Her bizarre encounters with the no less unfortunate Tropf Franz lead to darkly humorous dialogues that are not always easy to understand for non-Austrians, and many a misunderstanding. In general, communication is not a core competency for any of the few protagonists. Most of what is said seems awkward and inhibited. Andrea’s relationship with her current colleague (Thomas Schubert) is not very close. Only her future colleague (Robert Stadlober) from the state capital often can’t stop talking. City dwellers.
“Andrea Gets a Divorce” is a film like a long, calm river that is particularly deep, black and abyssal in some places. Idyll, boredom and frustration meet and are dependent on each other, so that in the end there may only be losers.
“Andrea is getting a divorce” is now showing in German cinemas.