Die toten Fische

On behalf of his boss, a man fishes stamps out of the water in a mysterious meadow landscape. The arduous endeavour is reminiscent of a philosophical struggle with life. The struggle against invisible resistance is later repeated again and again and becomes a symbol of the relentless structures of society ... Michael Synek's extraordinary, totally unconventional film was screened in Cannes in 1989. Enthusiasm (and rejection) abounded internationally - in this country, however, there was only concentrated disinterest. This led to the filmmaker's bankruptcy and, as a result, the film was not shown in cinemas at all for decades. Today, Synek's only directorial work painfully demonstrates what Austrian film has lost in him. (Florian Widegger)

In the presence of Michael Synek