Sabbatical

TIFF65: Greek Premiere

Tara and Robert’s relationship has plateaued. Having come within an inch of separating, they decided to commit to one last holiday in Greece with their daughter, Nia. A parting gift. To their surprise, being in Greece seemed to mend the cracks in their relationship. Perhaps staying here could be the answer to their problems... So, when the tourists are long gone and summer comes to an end, Tara and Robert decide to hold the fort and stay in Mani, a particularly rugged peninsula in the Peloponnese. From the comfort of their home, a renovated traditional stone tower, Robert does remote work for an international NGO, while Tara, a successful author, struggles with a creative crisis. But the mood - and the weather - begin to turn. Their home becomes damp and clammy, Mani feels increasingly deserted... and the rifts in their relationship rear their ugly heads. The sudden arrival of Joni, Robert’s younger brother, only exacerbates this precarious situation.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Judith Angerbauer

Script: Judith Angerbauer

Cinematography: Michael Kotschi

Editing: Florian Miosge

Sound: Niklas Kammertöns, Dimitris Kanellopoulos, Alexandra Praet

Music: Ann Weller (Cheap Wedding)

Actors: Seyneb Saleh, Trystan Pütter, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Ulrike Willenbacher, Bernhard Schütz, Zoë Baier, Vangelio Andreadaki, Efthalia Papacosta, Yiorgos Fourtounis

Production: Neue Schönhauser Filmproduktion GmbH

Producers: Anna Wendt, Boris Schönfelder

Co-production: WDR, ARTE

Co-producers: Andrea Hanke (WDR), Uta Cappel (ARTE), Yorgos Tsourgiannis (Horsefly Films)

Costumes: Nuria Heyck

Production Design: Aliki Kouvaka

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Germany

Production Year: 2024

Duration: 99'

Contact: Neue Schönhauser Filmproduktion GmbH

Judith Angerbauer

Judith Angerbauer started her career as an assistant at several theatres. From there, she moved to film and co-wrote the screenplay for the controversial, award-winning feature film The Free Will (2006), together with director Matthias Glasner, starring Jürgen Vogel and Sabine Timoteo. She gained further experience writing for television, as she penned episodes for the crime TV seriesTatort. This is where she met director Lars Kraume, with whom she co-wrote the series The New Era – Bauhaus (with Anna Maria Mühe and August Diehl) which had its world premiere at Cannesseries in 2019. Through the TorinoFilmLab, she got in contact with Luxemburgish director Laura Schroeder and wrote the screenplay for Maret (cinema), starring Susanne Wolff. Judith worked for the international series streaming department at Bavaria Fiction and has written for the series Das Boot (seasons 3 and 4) and Was wir fürchten (ZDF NEO). Sabbatical is her debut as a director.