“The Fox” is the honest and correct title for the latest film by young director Adrian Goiginger. In it, the filmmaker once again processes an episode from his family history. After he drew a portrait of his mother in his award-winning film debut “The Best of All Worlds”, an important phase in his great-grandfather’s life now becomes the subject of the story.
“As the youngest child, my great-grandfather was given away to foster parents in a desperately poor family of mountain farmers. He had a bad childhood there and then found an injured young fox in the French campaign of World War II and he was able to be the loving father to this animal that he so wished for himself. So it’s a mirrored father-son story. That’s why the fox stands for belief in humanity, love and the belief in finding your way back there, in other words overcoming the trauma he suffered as a child,” explained Goiginger on the sidelines of the Lower Austria premiere at the Cinema Paradiso in St. Pölten .
The tedious work with the fox wild animal
According to Goiginger, he didn’t pay enough attention in biology class. That’s why he was surprised how difficult it is to work with foxes who are supposed to do something specific in front of the camera. A fox is not a dog that, as is well known, can be trained. You worked with “habituation”. For years, they have accustomed the foxes to the actors and actresses, to the props such as the Wehrmacht coat or the sidecar motorbike. A total of six foxes were used, four puppies and two older animals, all of which live safely with the animal trainer.
Film premiere of “The Fox”
Adrian Goiginger’s new film is about an introverted soldier who becomes friends with a fox during World War II. The director works through the past of his great-grandfather.
There were so many foxes on set because the animals showed different moods every day, sometimes they were playful, sometimes tired, sometimes distracted. In order not to overwhelm any animal, their assignments were varied.
Simon Morzé, who played Franz Streitberger, was well aware that an animal could steal the show. “Yes, that happened, especially with a baby fox, you don’t stand a chance, but that’s okay,” he admitted with a mischievous smile. “Thanks to the years of preparation with our animal trainer Herbert Pecher, we have mastered the difficulties. In 2018 I was in contact with the foxes for the first time. A lot and an intense time has passed before the actual shooting.”
World War as the background of a touching story
“I always say I never wanted to make a war film with it, but rather a film about a broken young person who was abandoned as a child and who found the strength to get involved with other people,” emphasized Goiginger.
Karl Markovics plays the role of Franz’s father in the film. He is not only an actor but also a director himself. He was fascinated by the tension of the plot: “The film takes place in an extreme time and an extreme environment and tells a simple story that goes through this extreme time and this extreme environment gains tremendous power and impetus.”
On the two evenings of the premiere, there was prolonged applause in Baden and in Sankt Pölten, longer than at a premiere in a long time, says Alexander Syllaba, Managing Director of Cinema Paradisos, enthusiastically: “I’m quite sure that this film will be a will become a lasting film. I think Adrian Goiginger is not only one of the greatest talents in Austrian cinema, but throughout Europe. We’ll be hearing a lot more from him.” Actor Simon Morzé added that this was his best project to date.