Neue Geschichten vom Franz (New Tales of Franz) 
Austria/Germany
2023
Opening 7 Sep 2023
Directed by:
Johannes Schmid
Writing credits:
Sarah Wassermair
Principal actors:
Ursula Strauss, Simon Schwarz, Jossi Jantschitsch, Leo Wacha, Nora Reidinger
Curly-haired Franz (Jossi Jantschitsch), age 10, is looking forward to summer vacation with his friends Gabi and Eberhard. It’s beautiful weather on a lake near Vienna, all wonderful as long as Franz resists eating strawberries; he is allergic. Unfortunately, Gabi and Eberhard consistently argue. Franz attempts to resolve their differences, much to their annoyance at his interruptions into their privacy. Presently, their main interest is checking fingerprints and looking into school lockers for stolen goods. They consider themselves detectives, intent to find the thief. Their main suspect is their neighbor Mrs. Berger, who has a bag full of jewelry.
Translated, the title is The New Tales of Franz. It follows a previous film, Tales of Franz, which came out one year earlier. Both are based on a series of children’s books of the same title by Christine Nöstlinger. Especially valuable are the young actors who represent the main roles, making it a fun film for all children from the age of six and their families. Especially, appealing is the length: 72 minutes, which proves that films need not carry on for hours in order to make a good impression and entertain with surprises. (Becky Tan)
