Walter Arlen’s First Century

Description

Official Selection
Viennale
EPOS Art Film Festival
Diagonale
Dokfilm Festival
Los Angeles Jewish FF

Synopsis

Exile music is not written by those whom life left unchallenged. Walter Arlen is almost 100 years old, and the entire century comes to life in his stories and in his music; from the blue light of the last streetcar of his youth in Vienna to the golden sunsets in Los Angeles. Arlen was forced to flee Vienna in 1938 and immigrated to the United States, a journey that began as one of loneliness and depression. What kept him afloat was his musical talent. He took a job as the music critic for the Los Angeles Times, and stopped composing his own music. He only returned to it years later his works were first recorded and released when Arlen was 92. This sensitive film captures the complex story of a musician exiled, but who finally got to see his works performed late in life.

Director

Stephanus Domanig was born in in South Tyrol/Italy and graduated from the “Filmakademie Vienna” as a director. He lives and works in Vienna and Lower Austria.

Filmography (selection): FOR MY SISTERS (2014), JUST BALLET (2012) , RAUNACHT (2006), LUCY McEVIL, DISEUSE AUF WINTERREISE (2005), BALLET SPECIAL (2003)