Happyland: Longing and disappointment in Klosterneuburg's province!

Happyland: Longing and disappointment in Klosterneuburg's province!

On March 29, 2025, the new film “Happyland” by Evi Romen celebrated its world premiere in the “Happyland” leisure center in Klosterneuburg, a real location. The story follows the singer Helen, who returns to her native Lower Austria after moderate success in London. There she encounters a variety of challenges and old acquaintances who are not necessarily enthusiastic about her return. Especially her mother, who is currently on treatment, and former band members who hold grudges, don't make it easy for her.

A central element of the film is Helen's ex-partner Tom, who now works as a sound engineer and ignores her. Her attention instead turns to the younger Joe, who breeds horses. “Happyland” deals with complex themes such as longing, with both fulfilled and unfulfilled wishes in the foreground. However, critics complain that the film lacks a clear goal and the plot gets lost in trivialities, making it difficult to establish a deeper connection with the characters. The relationships remain superficial, leaving little room for extensive character development.

Camera work and challenges

Martin Gschlacht's camerawork still creates appealing moments of magical realism. Andrea Wenzl, who plays the role of Helen, had difficulties with the horse scenes, which placed additional demands on her acting performance. In another notable role, Alicia Edelweiß plays Tom's daughter Janis, who comes into her own particularly well in some sequences. Despite the positive elements, “Happyland” overall leaves the feeling of a lack of internal coherence and a non-stringent narrative.

At the same time, the film “Sehnsucht” by Valeska Griesbach contains a different but thematically related story. This is about Ella and Markus, who live in a small village in Brandenburg. The two have been friends since childhood and have settled into the routine of their life. Ella works as a household help and sings in the choir, while Markus works as a master locksmith. Their life seems perfect until Markus meets a waitress named Rose during a trip and begins a passionate affair that puts his relationship with Ella to the test.

Emotional moments and shared longings

The film deals with breaking out of a rigid pattern of life in the East German provinces and shows small dreams and wishes in a lower-middle-class environment. The director brings a milieu study to the screen, and the non-professional actors embody their roles authentically. A central moment in the film is Markus absorbing the music to the fullest while dancing to Robbie Williams' “Feel”. Despite emotional climaxes, the viewer is also confronted with lengths that must be consciously perceived. A pithy sentence from the film is: “Fate is what you cannot change,” which underlines the thematic depth of the desires.

Overall, both “Happyland” and “Sehnsucht” reflect the challenges and complexities of life and encourage viewers to think about unfulfilled desires and relationships. While “Happyland” may be limited in its narrative and character depth, “Sehnsucht” offers a deeper, more emotional exploration of the themes of provincial life. Small newspaper reports that the two films deal with the theme of longing in different ways, inviting the viewer to project their own experiences and wishes into the stories. Further details about the films can also be found at Mirror and Cinema time.