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On a Vespa in search of the meaning of ageing. Hermann Weiskopf's latest documentary film "Ride back to Best Age" takes him from the "Top of Alpbachtal" to Lake Garda to find answers.
Innsbruck/Alpbachtal - It is not the first time that Hermann Weiskopf has caused an international stir with a cinema film. The Tyrolean filmmaker has impressed at international film festivals with a whole series of moving documentaries and road movies. His latest film, "Ride back to Best Age", takes viewers on a search for the meaning of life, especially in old age.
Tyroleans have always had a special relationship with the mountains. "In times of crisis and self-reflection, when the big questions of life come up, they are drawn up to the heights," says Hermann Weiskopf. It is precisely there, at the "Top of Alpbachtal", at over 2,000 metres above sea level, that Weiskopf's latest cinematic adventure begins. The 13-metre-high observation tower near the Wiedersberger Horn becomes the starting point of the film and is also where the grand finale takes place. Three days of filming are planned in Tyrol.
Weiskopf asks himself a question that concerns many people in the prime of life: Am I old or just in my prime? A look in the mirror shows the signs of time, but his inner child, who still feels thirty, laughs back at him. With this profound question as a driving force, Weiskopf gets on his Vespa and sets off on a journey from Tyrol to Lake Garda.
The journey begins in the Alpbach Valley. It also symbolises the spiritual starting point of a search for meaning that will continue "on-the-road". The route leads him to unique personalities of the "best age", i.e. those over 60, who share with him their views on topics such as work, love, faith, sex, loneliness and the end of life.
Weiskopf's charming means of transport is the Vespa. It serves not only as a stylish means of transport, but also as an icebreaker. "The Vespa has character and charm. People are much more open when I drive up in it," says the filmmaker.
In the 90-minute cinema and TV documentary, Weiskopf is not only active as a director behind the camera, but also as an actor in front of it. Filming will take three weeks, mainly in Tyrol and Italy. While his last documentary was realised with just two people, this time he has the support of a larger team.
Production manager: Elly Senger-Weiss. Picture direction, camera and sound: Bernhard Freinademetz and Chris Meischl, costumes: Gwen McGuirk Music composition: Bernhard Falkner Script: Dr Peter Mair and Kirsten Ossoinig
"Ride back to Best Age" should not only inspire Austrian audiences. After its release in Austrian cinemas in May 2024, the film will be presented at various international film festivals. From July, the documentary will then be made available to a wider audience on Servus TV in Austria, Germany and eastern Switzerland. And for Weiskopf, the journey really begins when he accompanies the film at the screenings.
"The mountains in Alpbachtal are a good starting point for such a journey because they symbolise the beauty of the Tyrolean Alps. Everyone can find their soul's journey here. From a short circular walk to a long tour up the Wiedersberger Horn," says Markus Kofler, Managing Director of Alpbachtal Tourismus.
But that's not all. Weiskopf already has more plans in the pipeline. The third and final road documentary will focus on the search for God, with Israel planned as one of the filming locations. With "Ride back to Best Age", Hermann Weiskopf is enriching the world of film with another authentic and profound work that should make viewers think, smile and perhaps also reflect on themselves.