THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET
Austria, 2019, 108 minutes, Colour.
Valerie Pachner, Pia Hierzegger, Mavie Horbiger, Michelle Barthel, Marc Benjamin.
Directed by Marie Kreutzer.
A strong Austrian psychodrama, focusing on women, written and directed by Marie Kreutzer.
There are two settings. Central character, Lola (Valerie Pachner) is a young business consultant from Vienna, competent, almost completely involved in work. However, she is on constant call for her sister, Conny, diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic, in and out of institutions.
On the one hand, the film is a portrait of Conny’s mental illnesses, and demands on her sister, her erratic behaviour, believing the medical staff are conspiring against her, even hallucinations about their treatment. She is Lola’s older sister and, after the death of their mother, was her legal guardian. However, with the illness, Lola is now Conny’s legal guardian and takes the responsibilities very seriously, interrupting her work with phone calls, flying back to Vienna to see her sister and consult with the doctors.
In the meantime, there is restructuring going on in the company and she has the task of preparing programs to explain what could happen in the various departments as well as attempts to save the greatest number of jobs possible. Her boss, Elise, is a strong minded businesswoman as well – and the audience discovers that the two are in a sexual relationship.
There are various intrigues and plotting is going on in the company, about who will be members of committees, who will do consultations, promotions…
While things get worse for Lola, she fears that she is having hallucinations, phone calls from her sister, a phone call which seems to know all about her behaviour in the situation with Elise. She goes to a doctor but does not continue with the consultation.
The climax is the restructuring, the plan for Lola to go to Sydney for some years, the macho attitudes of one of her co-workers (sexually harassing Lola as does one of the clients).
While Conny seems to be getting better and is released under Lola’s care, there is drama with Conny falling to her death and Lola not getting the promotion that she expected.
A drama exploring the behaviour of paranoid schizophrenics as well as compulsive businesswoman and nervous breakdowns.
1. Psychological drama? A drama about women? Schizophrenia, nervous breakdown? Consequences?
2. The settings in Vienna, in the city of Rostock? City life, apartments, streets, hospitals, psychiatric wards, business offices? The musical score?
3. The story of Lola, waking in the morning, her voiceover about mornings, light and darkness, her age, going for runs, the continual visiting of the gym, the range of exercise? About to fly, the phone call about Conny, her visiting the ward? The relationship with her sister, their parent’s death, Conny as legal guardian for the young Lola? Her disappearance for two years? Conny’s collapse, Lola as legal guardian for Conny? The phone calls, the moods and outbursts, Conny and her erratic behaviour, words, antagonisms? Lola’s visits and the mood swings? The paranoia about listening in on phones, not being fed, tied up, the conspiracies against her?
4. Lola and the phone calls, and the eerie aspect of hallucinations, trapped in the lift, naked with Elise, her being observed and ordered, running out into the square? Her concern about hallucinations, going to the doctor, not following through on the tests?
5. The workplace, the situation, her role as a consultant, her expertise, her reliance on Birgit as a secretary? The relationship with Elise, the boss, the sexual relationship in the visits? The discussions, about the business? The restructuring the business, the talking with the veteran of 27 years? Issues of job loss, new clients, drawing up plans, recitations, the selection of members of the teams, the meetings, the meals with clients?
6. The entries in the office, the various plots, secrecy, the effect? Lola and her continued work? Fatigued?
7. The men, office harassment, at the meal and the guest’s talk about sexual activity under the table? Lola going into the toilet to confront Sebastian, sexuality and the dominance of the penis?
8. The relationship with Elise, telling the truth about Conny, the clash? Her returning to the meeting, Sebastian’s reaction, the plan to go to Sydney, Elise sending Sebastian? The selling of the apartment, packing, the discussions with the agents? The importance of the care of Conny, her being better, coming out and being settled, returning the cat from the care centre?
9. Elise, the sense of betrayal, if the sexual attraction, Lola and her new job as assistant?
10. Conny, jumping to her death, the call to Lola, Lola and her breakdown, behaviour, in hospital, mentioning 48’s in her delirium – 48 hours of continued work?
11. The visit to the cemetery, the deaths of the family? The talk about being an orphan?
12. Back to exercise, the future and the business? And the summary of images during the final credits, and glimpses of Lola, past and future? And the lyrics of Leonard Cohen’s song?
