Every Christmas Eve, a grandfather relives his World War II experiences with his family, still haunted by unresolved guilt and the weight of responsibility.
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Director Biography – Mario Dengler
2020 Short film: WIEDERSEHEN (AT) Composer
2021 Short Doc: FIGHTING FOR A LIVING (AT) Composer
2021 Short Doc: WORKING DOGS (AT) Composer
2022 Short film: MIND SWEEPER (AT) Producer, Composer
2022 Short film: CARMILLA (AT) Composer
2023 Short film: DIE GEIERWALLY (AT) Director, Screenwriter
2023 Commercial: DAS VERRÜCKTE LABORATORIUM (AT) Director, Screenwriter
2023 Short film: AEOLUS (DE) Sounddesigner, Re-recording Mixer
2024 Short film: MOMENT DER VERSUCHUNG (AT) Director, Screenwriter
2024 Short film: NR.100 (AT) Composer, Re-recording Mixer
2025 Feature film: CYBELE (CH, PY, AT) Location Scout
2025 Short film: WIR SCHWENKTEN KEINE FAHNEN (AT) Director, Story Editor, Re-recording Mixer
2025 Short film: UNIVITED HAVOC (GB, AT) Composer, Re-recording Mixer
2025 Doc series: ALPENLAND TIROL IM 19. JH. (CH,AT) Director, Story Editor
2025 Feature film: BODEN ALLER DINGE (CH, FR, AT) 2nd Assistant Director
Director Statement
In “Wir schwenkten keine Fahnen”, we delve into the tensions between personal memory and the collective responsibility of the past. The film reveals how deeply the Second World War and its moral questions continue to shape generations. Through the eyes of a grandfather who shares his story on Christmas Eve, we explore questions of guilt and humanity.
As a director, it is essential to me that the film reflects both the warmth and security of family life, as well as the cold distance of painful memories. The visual language will support this through warm colors in the Christmas scenes and cool, almost oppressive tones in the flashbacks. The contrast between lovingly staged, almost cinematic memories and the raw, fragmented images of true experiences will underscore the grandfather’s inner turmoil.
This film is meant to provoke thought: How do we deal with our past? What does it mean to take responsibility, even if you never pulled the trigger yourself? And how does this responsibility affect future generations? The questions of guilt, repression, and humanity that the film raises are more relevant today than ever.
| Mario Dengler Director Tanja Ploner Writer, Producer Simon Kosta Music Simon Andreas Baumgartner DOP Jonathan Schmid DOP, Editing |
