Private Project

In Verdrängung

Looking at an old photograph, a young woman believes to suddenly recognize her mother, supposedly deceased before the image was taken. As a result, she breaks into her family’s abandoned home to face her traumatic past.

A tragic story unfolds piece by piece, as the main character corners herself into an unescapable situation, that reflects her long repressed childhood memories.

  • Michael Winiecki
    Director
  • Michael Winiecki
    Writer
  • Michael Winiecki
    Producer
  • Eva-Maria Weingärtler
    Key Cast
    "Marta"
  • Susanne Wende
    Key Cast
    "Ewa "
  • Florian Stohr
    Key Cast
    "Theo"
  • Sonja Aberl
    Assistent Director
  • Marie Goltermann
    Unit Manager
  • Markus Wastl
    Director of Photography
  • Christopher Eberle
    Gaffer
  • Lukas Gwechenberger
    Sound Recordist
  • Michael Winiecki
    Art Direction
  • Tobias Jonas
    Production Assistent
  • Michael Winiecki
    Editor
  • Andreas Posch
    Sound Engineer
  • Daniel Dorninger
    Music Composer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    In Verdrängung
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Thriller, Arthouse
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 17, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    3,130 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Austria
  • Country of Filming:
    Austria
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Crossing Europe Film Festival
    Linz
    Austria
    October 9, 2020
    Austria Premiere
    Local Artist
  • RIFF 2020 - REAKTOR International Film Festival
    Vienna, Austria
    Austria
    October 11, 2020
Director Biography - Michael Winiecki

Michael Winiecki is a 30-year-old Polish-Austrian filmmaker who is currently living and working in Vienna, Austria.

Since his early youth he's been an active musician and played guitar in different punk, rock and metal bands. His DIY roots led him to become a filmmaker, as he started to make music videos and short films with the very same people he grew up with.

His first ambitious short film "Blütezeit" (2013), a three minute stop-motion animation, granted him a place at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, where he finished his Bachelor of Arts degree in MultiMediaArt with a focus on filmmaking.

During his studies he was able to write, direct and produce more music videos and short films, such as "HÄX" (2015) and "Das schwarze Fieber" (2016).

Next to his work as a theatre assistant director, he also had the chance to simultaneous work as a freelance video projection artist for the Schauspielhaus Salzburg and the Theatre Regensburg and provided visuals for more than eight stage plays during that time.

Right now, he is focused on his Master's Degree in Theatre-, Film-, and Media Studies at the University of Vienna, as well as on his festival submissions for his latest short film "In Verdrängung" (2019).

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Director Statement

„In Verdrängung“ (English: In Repression) is a very personal film to me, as its theme of psychological repression, caused by the traumatic loss of a beloved person, is something that affected me and my family.

I intentionally used a nonlinear narrative structure with reverse-chronology to blend out information and to change the context of certain scenes.

The main goal of this narrative plot structure is to communicate a fragmented and suggestive state of mind, that creates suspense and mirrors the psychological dissociation process of trauma victims.

This also allows for a different moral and empathic approach to the protagonist, as the audience’s image of the main character changes during the course of the film and only reveals the full spectrum of inner conflicts and motivations after the credits roll.

I sincerely hope that my film creates a suspenseful, emotional and multi-layered cinematic experience and that it will invoke empathy in the audience and leave them thinking about their own perspectives in life.