For some, a dirndl is just a pretty, colourful dress with an apron; for others, it is a symbolically charged provocation. Just like items of clothing, places can also be contaminated. The narratives constructed around them are constantly changed and adapted by private family histories and historical circumstances – and with each generation, a new reading is superimposed on these layers. This Super 8 film dives deep down into the idyll of Austria’s Lake Grundlsee to reveal the chasms that lie beneath.

Dir. Wilbirg Brainin-Donnenberg - 15min - 2021 - Austria

"an absorbing personal work that deals with memories of how the dirndl traditional folk dress was used as a tool of oppression in the run-up to World War II, with Jews and others being forbidden from wearing it“ - Cineuropa

"Who would have known before watching this film that the Nazis actually banned Jewish women from wearing the dirndl?“ - European Jewish Press

"begins over glimmering celluloid images of Lake Grundlsee in Austria" - The Film Verdict

"uncovers the fascinating symbolism of such clothing, as well as the trickiness of separating image from meaning.“ - Directors Notes