Private Project

Michael Gaismayr

Michael Gaismair is generally known as the leader of the oppressed people in the Tyrolean peasant uprisings in the 16th century. Yet he was far more than a simple rebel. Michael Gaismair had extraordinary foresight and he dared to fundamentally question the church and the supremacy of the nobles – which of course did not please the authorities at all.
Betrayal and imprisonment only fueled his passion for the concerns of the peasants and ensured that he was no longer content with reforms.

In his thoughts and actions, he was in no way inferior to Martin Luther and Thomas Müntzer. His plans and actions brought him into contact with the Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli and the two kingdoms of France and Venice.
His demands was far ahead of its time and already included points such as the separation of the church from the state, or the reduction of privileges.

But the powerful Habsburgs knew how to prevent this and persecuted the Tyrolean leader until his death.

  • Wolfgang Moser
    Director
  • Wolfgang Moser
    Writer
  • Norbert Blecha
    Producer
    Ride back to freedom, Mum I am the boss
  • Matthias Keitsch
    Producer
    Sisters
  • Peter Schorn
    Key Cast
    "Michael Gaismayr"
    Persona non grata, Rosenheim Cops
  • Alexa Brunner
    Key Cast
    "Magdalena Gaismayr"
    Binnen-I
  • Günther Götsch
    Key Cast
    "Stefan Ganner"
    Luis Trenker, Kripo Bozen, Andreas Hofer
  • Thomas Hochkofler
    Key Cast
    "Hans Gaismayr"
    Joe der Film
  • Peter Mitterrutzner
    Key Cast
    "Georg Kirchmayr"
    Märzengrund, Tatort, Landkrimi
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Michael Gaismayr
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    415,000 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital DCP 2048x1152
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Bolzano Filmfestival Bozen
    Bozen
    Italy
    April 19, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    IDM Award
Director Biography - Wolfgang Moser

Biography, Wolfgang Moser / WRITER AND DIRECTOR

Actually, I come from the music world and for many years I have been performing all over Europe with different bands and artists in the field of "Rock-Pop-Funk".
This passion did not let go of me and so I directed my thoughts completely onto this track. This has given me over 500 performances in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, UK and Toronto and I was able to meet international stars and producers and work with some of them (Justin Grey - Producer of Joss Stone, Luca Bignardi - Sound Engineer of Eros Ramazotti, Vasco Rossi and Laura Pausini, Nicky Manuputty - Saxophon player of Glenn Fredley / Jakarta ...).

In 2004 I received my "Audio Engineer Diploma" at the SAE Munich. At that time I was employed for 3 years at BR Bayerischer Rundfunk as a freelancer in the audio engineering department and was allowed to get a taste of TV air for the first time.
In 2009 I worked as a recording technician for 1 year at RAI SÜDTIROL.
In 2010 I decided to start a small film production company called MOWO PRODUCTION.

I realized that creating films, be it music videos, as well as commercials and documentaries, is comparable to composing music. It's always about conveying feelings and emotions. What you want to express is first created in your head and should then be implemented as well as possible.
I had to learn a lot as an autodidact. But I have also attended many courses, seminars and workshops where I was taught by international professionals.
I have gained experience on the big film set in feature film productions as sound man and/or drone pilot in the following films: "Kommissar Rex - Eiszeit", "Wir Helden der SS - Gebrüder Beetz", "Abbi fede - Giorgio Pasotti", "Eine harte Tour - ARD Spielfilm".

Over the last 10 years I have produced numerous documentaries for regional television and worked as a writer, DOP and editor:
Documentary 60' - ERICH ABRAM, the most beautiful was climbing
Documentary 60' - ON THE TRACKS OF THE HORSE, forgotten heroes
Documentary film 60' - THE MOUNTAINS IN SOUTH TIEL
and many more.

I started writing scripts for the first time in 2017, because I realized that the texts for my documentaries were easy to write and I wanted to tell stories. Stories that leave something behind with the audience. Tracks, maybe. They can be used to motivate someone, or help them process a personal experience. Just like some movies have already done that for me. There are many reasons why stories impress people.

Music will always be a part of me. For 10 years now, it has also been the film. This passion lets me go just as little as that for music.

I look forward to leaving my mark.

Wolfgang Moser

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

DIRECTOR'S / WRITER'S NOTE
MICHAEL GAISMAIR - FROM REFORMER TO REBEL
A documentary film by Wolfgang Moser

In 2018, when I was shooting the documentary "The Estate of the Teutonic Order in South Tyrol" and conducting an interview with the former Grand Master Dr. Arnold Wieland, I learned for the first time about the events of the Peasant Wars of the 16th century. In the course of these uprisings, the Teutonic Order house in Sterzing was plundered. Even priests and pastors had to flee from the mop. In the middle of the Holy Land Tyrol? That sounded frightening to me in the first place. At the same time, a great radiance emanated from this historical episode.
I was interested in the background of this unrest and asked Dr. Wieland how it came about. Immediately the talk was of Michael Gaismair. I had heard this name several times before. Wasn't that the Tyrolean freedom fighter next to Hofer, Speckbacher, or whatever they were all called?
When I got home, I immediately had to research it on the Internet. His story fascinated me immensely. Later, when I held in my hands the book "Um Freiheit und Gerechtigkeit: Michael Gaismair" (For Freedom and Justice: Michael Gaismair) by Michael Forcher, I began to realize the pioneering role of this reformer and rebel.
Even 500 years after the events, I could sense Gaismair's inner struggles; his story basically read almost like a script. Furthermore, I found out that there has not been a single film about Michael Gaismair. This surprised me and it strengthened my idea to make a documentary film with reenactment scenes about this historical figure.

The fact that Michael Gaismair, a man with great prestige, a good salary and a young family, took the side of the little man during the Peasants' Wars in 1525 and put everything on the line fascinated me very much. I asked myself how I would have acted in his place. The deeper I delved into his story, the closer I came to the present, because Gaismair was far ahead of his time. Even today, there are parallels to the social situation in the 16th century. His political program included progressive solutions to social justice that would still be implementable today. Issues such as privilege reduction, education and the right to health care, are as relevant today as they were then.
Initially, he saw himself as a link between the rebellious peasants and the Tyrolean government around the young Archduke Ferdinand I. Peacefully and primarily through diplomacy, he wanted to achieve more rights for the exploited peasants. Although he was not part of this society view.

Gaismair was rather ignored and almost forgotten by historiography for almost 400 years. If then he was portrayed as a traitor to the homeland and a heretic. It was not until around 1960 that he received a more consistently positive view and relevance through the Czech historian Josef Macek. Gaismair had principles and acted with courage and passion. He was highly respected by princes and doges as well as by his peasant soldiers and battle-hardened mercenaries. What charisma did this man have to have!

For the film, the involvement of experts is essential, and for this reason I contacted the renowned historian and book author Michael Forcher. Forcher published a book about Gaismair in 19982 , like Josef Macek a few years earlier, and cleared up the general misunderstanding. He was very enthusiastic about the idea of realizing a film and stood and still stands by me with his expertise.

I am very much looking forward to tell this story and to realize it cinematically.

Wolfgang Moser