O’Horten

Highways to the Reich (Reichsautobahn), 1984/1986

West Germany, 35mm, 91’, Black & White, German

O’Horten is forced to retire after 40 years of service as a train operator. But he misses his last journey which stirs things up at the train station. The platform is no longer safe for him. At 67, Hortenbegins to discover the fun side of old age, which he has come to accept with his retirement.Hortensteps out of his previously monotonous life and into one that is strange and adventuresome. Throughout the film, Hamer uses a humorous language to present us the theme of death through the warm and melancholic portrait of old Horten.

Past Programs
Bent Hamer Films
October 31–November 3, 2013