Heaven or Hell / For God and Country: Himmel oder Hlle / Ich gelobe) by Christoph Dostal

Germany released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: German ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Heaven or Hell (Himmel oder Hölle): In this partially black-and-white film-school graduation thesis, the director limns his childhood and boyhood in the projection booth at his father's movie theater and envelops the story in the deaths that took place in his family and in his life. As a young man, he worked at a part-time job in a relative's slaughterhouse, and the close encounter with death at that time seems to have colored his vision ever since. Reviewers praised the movie on the one hand for its technical accomplishments and powerful use of symbolism and on the other hand indicated that as a storytelling venture it left a lot to be desired. For God and Country (Ich gelobe): This film which is Austria's entry for the Academy Awards, explores the dreams and, philosophical musings of a young Austrian soldier as wrestles with an obsession with sex and his romantic ideals. Berger, like other young Austrian men must complete his required service in the army. He is a quiet sort and an indifferent soldier. Most of his time is spent daydreaming in the latrine where he carves an elaborate medieval scene on the back of the door. Like most young men in his unit, Berger is looking to get laid as frequently and as impersonally as possible. But in his strange recurring dreams he longs for romance and chivalry. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Oscar Academy Awards, Rotterdam International Film Festival, ...Heaven or Hell / For God and Country ( Himmel oder Hölle / Ich gelobe ) ( I Promise )