MICHAEL New Auteurs

From the outside, 35-year-old Michael leads a seemingly normal life. He’s vying for a promotion at the insurance company where he works and goes on vacations to the mountains with friends. But inside Michael’ s ordinary suburban home, he is hiding a dark and troubling secret. That secret is 10-year-old Wolfgang, who Michael is holding captive in a locked , soundproof room in the basement. In his debut film, director Markus Schleinzer gives us a clinical and unbiased glimpse into the final five months in Michael and Wolfgang’s life together Schleinzer strips away moral judgments from the film so all that remains is a portrait of a man, a boy and their interactions. What results is a superbly crafted and suspenseful thriller as Michael struggles to keep his secret safe from the outside world.