Boyhood

Ten years ago, Richard Linklater gave the documentary genre of long-term observation an unprecedented boost of attention: he transferred the practice of continuous film work with the same protagonists to his cast (of professional and non-professional actors) to tell a largely ordinary, no less stirring story of growing up in a patchwork family over a period of twelve years. At the centre is the boy Mason, played by Ellar Coltrane. Ethan Hawke, who alongside Patricia Arquette and Lorelei Linklater forms Mason's core family and has worked with Linklater since Before Sunrise (1995), describes their shared coming-of-age experience as "a bit like time-lapse photography of a human being." Boyhood has won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Film and the Silver Bear for Best Director. (Marion Biet / Nicole Kandioler / Isabella Reicher)

Photo: Austrian Film Museum