Private Project

Sweet Survival

On a cold afternoon in a dystopian future, a group of women go about their daily business at an abandoned compound when a hungry young man tries to rob them. They quickly overpower him and to his surprise invite him to join them for dinner. As they sit together at the kitchen table it slowly dawns on the loner that these women are not just after his company.

  • Katharina Gerlich
    Director
  • Luna Herruzo
    Director
  • Katharina Gerlich
    Writer
  • Hella Stichlmair
    Writer
  • Julia Stipsits
    Producer
    The Secret Box
  • Ewa Habdas
    Producer
    Insanium, Azrael, Persephone
  • Valerie Bolzano
    Key Cast
  • Kudra Owens
    Key Cast
  • Marta Carvalho
    Key Cast
  • Anna Tucci
    Key Cast
  • Ingo Paulick
    Key Cast
  • Katharina Gerlich
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, Western
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 5, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Austria
  • Country of Filming:
    Austria
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Austrian Filmfestival
    Vienna
    Austria
    October 14, 2023
    Best Horror/Thriller
  • ALPINALE
    Bludenz
    Austria
    August 9, 2023
    Austrian Premiere
    V-Shorts
  • Torino Underground Cinefest
    Torino
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • FEST - New Directors/New Films Festival
    Espinho, Porto
    Portugal
    World Premiere
    ECHOES Selection
  • Wench Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    Asian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Blackbird Film Festival
    Cortland, NY
    United States
    April 12, 2024
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Katharina Gerlich, Luna Herruzo

Katharina Gerlich is an Austrian actress, director and writer. She self-published her very first book - featuring a cherry searching for freedom - at the tender age of 8 using her parents' printer, crayons and loads of staples. Later, she followed her passion for storytelling and trained to be an actress in Vienna and London. Katharina has created work for Europe's biggest youth theatre, devising countless plays for young as well as adult audiences. She has directed theatre as well as multidisciplinary performances and in 2016 was given the Cultural Award of the City of Baden, Austria, in the category of performing arts.
'Sweet Survival' is her debut short film, a female driven thriller set in a dystopian future.

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Director Statement

The focus of Sweet Survival are clearly the unusual and contrasting female characters that have to navigate a dystopian world. The story is driven by the individuals and the tensions between them and the outside world.
Each character in the film has their own addiction, a longing that they seek to fulfil. While some of these desires are easily satisfied, others present greater challenges.
Our intention was to create an ensemble piece that would delve into these complex characters and their struggles, prompting the audience to question their assumptions and contemplate the grey areas between good and bad. We aimed to foster discussion around themes of morality, justice, and empathy, urging individuals to engage with and consider these concepts in a more nuanced way.