André Heller’s film portrait of the outstanding Austrian cabaret artist and satirist Helmut Qualtinger takes a very intimate look at this extraordinary individual and brilliant actor, revealing much that is new about him while celebrating the familiar aspects. The film marks the 25th anniversary of his death and is a homage to this masterful analyst of the Austrian soul, who described himself as a “person imitator“, and it documents the shining heights and deep tragedies of an exceptional life.
“This is an attempt to tell the story of a man who was highly gifted, in some respects even a genius. He was somebody I liked immensely, and I am indebted to him for the encouragement he gave me when I was young. For many years he was a dependable friend to me – though too seldom, I believe, to himself.“ André Heller
Qualtinger