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MARTA’S SUITCASE

A film by Günter Schwaiger | 2013 | 76 min | HD | Color | 5.1 | 16/9 | Austria, Spain

Synopsis

Marta suffered years ago the brutal assault of her ex-husband and was about to die. Now her attacker has been released from prison and is sure he will try again.

In her home where she hides she shows us her day to day struggle to overcome the trauma and fear.

Harald, psychotherapist’s consulting to men “MännerWelten” helps violent men to leave male violence and analyzes the possible causes. The testimony of one of these men takes us into the deepness of his violence …

MARTA’S SUITCASE with real examples describes both the suffering and the struggle of women abused as the vision of those who work against violence. The movie is filmed in Spain and Austria, the two places where the director lives as an example of the universality of the problem.

Credits

Production: Mosolov-P (Spain) & Günter Schwaiger Film Produktion (Austria)
coproduced by: ORF (Austria), TVE (Spain)
Produced by: Günter Schwaiger
Executive producer: Cristina G. Alía
Written & directed by: Günter Schwaiger
Photography: Günter Schwaiger, Victor Martín
Editing: Günter Schwaiger, Martin Eller
Sound: Cristina G. Alía
Music: M.A.M
With: Ascensión Marta Antiguita, Harald Burgauner, María Naredo, Renate Hojas, e.o.
suported by: Land und Stadt Salzburg, BMUKK (Austria)

Festivals

  • DocumentaMadrid (2013,Spain)
  • Human Rights Film Festival Madrid (2013, Spain)
  • Human Rights Film Festival Barcelona (2013, Spain)
  • IFF Hofer Filmtage (2013, Germany)
  • IFF Frauen Filmtage Wien (2013, Austria)
  • Frauen Filmtage Klagenfurt (2013, Austria)
  • Human Rights Film Festival Tirana (2013, Albania)
  • Cineespaña Toulouse (2013, France)
  • Internazionale a Ferrara Festival (2013, Italy)
  • Marda Loop Justice Film Festival Calgari (2013, Canada)
  • Cineropa Santiago de Compostela (2013, Spain)
  • Mondovisioni Film Series in Italy (oct.2013 – may 2014 in 17 italian cities)
  • Muces muestra de cine Europeo Segovia (2014, Spain)

Awards

Nominated Romy Filmpreise 2014

Director’s Statement

About the Film

According to a UN study in 2011, inEurope the most dangerous place for a woman is her own home.

Gender-based violence remains a serious problem in modern society although laws and institutional work have greatly improved in recent years. It’s not enough to toughen penalties or offer more protection for women without change society in depth. “To change society takes time,” says one of the protagonists of the film and I think she is right.

Marta’s case is particularly significant because it breaks many stereotypes about gender violence. For one she never suffered physical abuse before the attempted murder and she does not come from modest or marginal family. As she says: “There is no profile for battered women and it can touch anyone.” She also is a strong woman and a fighter who is not afraid to criticize the ineffectiveness of institutions.

For me as a man was also very important to approach the male and try to find out what happens inside a violent man and what leads him to violence. In this sense i found the work of the therapist Harald Burgauner, who is one of the most prestigious specialists in Austria, of particular interest. I was also impressed as policemen, judges and social workers are able to come together to find a solution to the problem from very different viewpoints. From the way it functions much can be learned.