Rickerl

AT/DE 2024, 101 min, Adrian Goiginger

Erich “Rickerl” Bohacek (36) is working as a cemetery gardener in Vienna while he tries to take off as a musician, because his everyday life doesn’t fulfill him - his true passion lies in story-songs from his life. Rickerl has been pursuing his heart and soul into his songs for many years, but the last, decisive step is missing: finally writing them down properly and handing them over to his manager Charly so that they can produce an album.

When he loses his job at the cemetery, he once again has to deal with the AMS (employment office), Austria's largest employer.

Meanwhile, his 6-year-old son Dominik lives with his mother Viki in a beautiful house in an upperclass area - a life that Rickerl could never offer. Rickerl sees his son every two weeks, for whom he wants to be nothing less than the best dad in the world, but his father's unreliability has made Dominik agitated. Rickerl's ex-wife Viki is torn between her new partner, the conservative Kurti, and Rickerl, for whom Viki still feels a great fascination. Although Rickerl knows that Dominik means everything to him in life, he struggles to build a deeper relationship with his son.

Rickerl finds solace and inspiration for his music in the charming Viennese “Beisln” (pubs). Here he becomes an artist who touches people with the art of his songs accompanied by his guitar. But selfdoubt and the fear of failure stand in the way of him realizing his dream. This insecurity is intensified by the presence of his father - himself a bon vivant and a gambling addict. He never misses an opportunity to convince Rickerl that he will never be successful with his music.

When Rickerl forgets his guitar while camping with Dominik, his life is thrown into complete disarray. He has just started a new job as a salesman in an erotic store when he realizes the painful loss of his musical instrument. Without hesitation, he sets off in search of it and in the process loses sight of Dominik, whom he had taken to work in the erotic store without permission.

When Viki finds out about the incident and tells him that Dominik no longer wants to see his father, Rickerl realizes that he has to change. He confronts his father about his behavior and asks him to get out of his life. When he finds his guitar case with a homeless man, he gives the guitar to him, overflowing with happiness and gratitude. Because the really precious thing about his guitar case are the song lyrics inside. Rickerl seizes the opportunity. With courage and determination, he finally records the songs for his first album and sets a clear example - for himself and for his son.

cast

Voodoo Jürgens: Erich „Rickerl“ Bohacek
Ben Winkler: Dominik
Agnes Hausmann: Viki
Claudius von Stolzmann: Kurti
Rudi Larsen: Rickerls Vater
Nicole Beutler: Frau König

awards

Austrian Film Awards 2024: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Casting, VAM Diagonale Award: outstanding production achievements, Diagonale Grand Prize for Best Actor