Mutzenbacher

A novel was published in Vienna in 1906. Its author was not named. The book became known as Josefine Mutzenbacher. The text was banned and argued over for years. The reason for the argument is plain. The book describes the sexuality of a child. Some hold it to be literature. Others hold it to be an account of abuse. The documentary is built around that text. A casting is held in a warehouse. Everyone taking part is a man. Their ages run from sixteen to ninety. They have pages from the text in their hands. They read them out loud. There is no set and no make-up. After each reading Ruth Beckermann asks questions. The men speak about their own experience. The film was named best film in the Encounters section at the Berlinale in 2022. The hundred and one minute film is an Austrian production Ruth Beckermann finished in 2022.