The directorial debut of Austrian actor Karl Markovics, Breathing, is an assured, intelligent work that deservedly picked up a number of prizes since it premiered at Cannes earlier this year. The film concerns Roman, an institutionalized young offender in Vienna, who, when given the option of a work-release programme takes up a job in a mortuary. There he discovers the body of a woman who shares his surname. It occurs to Roman that this may be the mother who gave him up for adoption, and he begins to explore his past.
The restrained observational direction and the emotional intensity of the performances, particularly non-actor Thomas Schubert in the lead role, are the marks of a notable film with integrity and weight.
