Razzennest just had its world premiere as part of Fantastic Fest 2022's Burnt Ends Showcase, an ideal debut for a film that will undoubtedly be one of the most original and perhaps controversial film experiences of the year at indie festivals. While the film is certainly not for the casual moviegoer - I laugh at the thought of a Star Wars connoisseur seeing it - Razzennest is a film not to be missed if you like films that challenge and provoke.

The narrator in Razzennest is played by none other than Joe Dante, one of several surprises Grenzfurthner has in store for us in this film. Alec Empire's original score for the film is an immersive creepiness that complements the visuals without dominating them. Florian Hofer, Philine Hofmann and Ronald von den Sternen have done the same with their camerawork, immersing us in a world that is thoughtful, dark, funny and haunting.

As an Austrian living abroad I would like to add an additional perspective. Razzennest has very many layers of meaning and allusions, which as a non-Austrian probably cannot be fully understood or grasped. They are not really relevant to the plot, but are important to the essence and "flavor" of this piece. For example, the moment when on the audio layer (without spoiling too much) a sexual assault happens, on the picture level, almost casually, a record from the 1980s can be seen: Horst Chmela's "Her mit meinen Hennen." (An excellent example of mainstream Austrian rape culture. The chorus of this "funny novelty hit" is: "Bring on my hens, the rooster is here.") That gave me real goose bumps.