ALOYS

Switzerland, 2016, 91 minutes, Colour.
Georg Friedrich, Tilde von Overbeck, Karl Friedrich.
Directed by Tobias Nolle.

This is a film from German Switzerland, and the director has stated that people from this part of the country have a sense of isolation in their own country. The central character, Aloys, it is something a symbol of this mentality – although he is played by an Austrian actor (and his father in the film is played by his actual father).

The plot requires a great deal of concentration. Seems straightforward at first,

Aloys is upset at the death of his father, though he later sees him in different circumstances. He is alone, a photographer, with his video footage.

But the main theme of the film is what happens to Aloys in his real life and in his mind, especially concerning a young woman who seems to be a creation of his mind but also exists in real life.

Ultimately, this is a film about loneliness, aloneness, the need for relationship, a film about mental and emotional instability.


1. A film from German Switzerland? Its place in the whole of the Switzerland Federation? Sense of isolation? Language? The French and Italian areas? The choice of an Austrian actor and accent for this film?

2. The city, the funeral parlour, photography, the apartment, the bar and the dance, the cafe, forest, the animals, the hospital? The musical score?

3. Aloys, his age, experience, the death of his father and the effect on him, identifying with his father, detective, photography, film, phone communication? His loneliness and isolation? His look, the red coat?

4. His father, dead, imagining him alive, his reappearances? His father as an aspect of himself?

5. The funeral parlour, the woman claiming acquaintance, his spurning her, yet her photo seen later?

6. The theme of visibility and invisibility? The real and surreal? As a work of the imagination?

7. Vera, in herself, for Aloys, injury, hospital, real, the apartment, phone communication, Aloys’ response?

8. Vera alive, love for him, sharing with him, the vibrant dance, the group and their communication and response, watching the videos?
In the restaurant, in his room, Aloys creating her, his response to her? Her being seen and unseen? The little girl in the cafe not seeing her?

9. The group, the Asians, the transvestite, the priest and the other members, enthusiasm? The transvestite later blowing the kiss? Sharing the exuberance, filmed?

10. The crisis for Aloys, Vera in the apartment, going outside, inside, wrapped in the curtain, her vanishing? On the balcony, falling over? Yet her being downstairs and walking away? Aloys in the hospital, with a Vera?

11. Aloys as a psychological case?