Short, AT 2020, 14 min
Ingbert, the sock, applies for a position as double bass player at the Vienna State Orchestra. Bad idea.
Ingbert Socke (his name is quite telling), makes his first excursion into the human world. He takes part in a tryout for the position of double bass player in the Viennese Staatskapelle. Although his performance is received enthusiastically, the selection committee still has something against him. But what could it be?
It’s a bold script and concept that Henning Backhaus has developed together with Albert Meisl and Rafael Haider. In excellent style, they show not only how cleverly puppetry and film can be combined, but also who’s pulling the strings in this human world, why and for what (no spoiler: for their own purposes). A finely made, clever little film.
(Catalog Text Diagonale 2020)
.
Herrlich skurril und mit hintergründigem Witz.
(Saarbrücker Zeitung)
.
We think „The Best Orchestra in the World“ is an amazing absurdist take on discrimination. It is so subtle but still in your face. Done with a lot of tact and charm while presenting a serious topic.
(Jury Statement, Durham Region International Film Festival, Canada)
.
For the originality in telling, with disarming genuineness, the experience of being incredibly unique but inevitably different. All of this with a more realistic vision than ever of a cynical world! Thanks to an excellent cinematic technique that shows great attention to every detail, the audience gently slides into a drama disguised as a comedy by means of funny sketches and technically impeccable animated puppets. The audience expects, at any moment, some sort of social redemption that will never take place, leaving the amused viewer with something to think about.
(Jury Statement, Malatesta Short Film Festival, Italy)
Henning Backhaus‘ short film, THE BEST ORCHESTRA IN THE WORLD, is a metaphorical masterpiece and stands as a brilliant commentary on the social creation of truth, acceptance and discrimination. In the most skillful way, this short film not only brings viewers to laughter, but to also leaves them in quiet reflection about cycles of deceit across all levels of society exercises. Through an incredibly original approach with a sock puppet, audiences are struck by the high craftsmanship, the production value and, most importantly, are left thinking about the raw honestly of its message weeks later. An ABSOLUTE MUST WATCH!
(Blackbird Film Festival, New York)
Director’s Statement
„Die Tragödie überwindet die Distanz. Die Komödie schafft Distanz. Das Mittel nun, mit dem die Komödie Distanz schafft, ist der Einfall. Die Tragödie ist ohne Einfall.“
Diese Definition von Friedrich Dürrenmatt mag ich sehr! Ich bin ein großer Fan des jüdischen Humors, von Ernst Lubitsch bis Woody Allen. In „Das beste Orchester der Welt“ bemüht sich ein offensichtlicher Außenseiter um Teilhabe am System, wird vorne eingesogen und hinten ausgespuckt, tragisch eigentlich, aber eben auch die Geschichte einer Socke, und damit stecken wir tief in der Komödienmatrix. Es geht um fatale Lebensentscheidungen, das Gerangel von Deutungshoheiten und ums Chaos, das nur von der Lüge im Griff gehalten werden kann.
Das alles in schlanken 14 Minuten! Grundsätzlich liegt meine Sympathie eher bei der schrulligen Idee als bei der aufgeräumten Komfortzone. Ich denke, es ist menschlich, schrullig zu sein. Und meine Socke ist mindestens so menschlich wie ich.
(Henning Backhaus)
Cast Thomas Mraz, Jörn Hentschel, Peter Huemer, Dominic Oley, Richard Obermayr, Helen Hagmueller
Puppeteers Rafael Haider, Katarina Csanyiova
With the Voices of Peter Matić, Michael Kreihsl, Henning Backhaus, Andreas Radlherr
Director Henning Backhaus
Screenplay Rafael Haider, Henning Backhaus, Albert Meisl
Producer Lukas Rosatti
Director of Photography Matthias Halibrand
Editor Jana Libnik
Production Design Andrea Meschik
Assistant Director Florian Kogler
Production Manager Michael Schäffer, Alexander Peskador
Sound Design Nora Czamler
Sound Recording Benedikt Palier, Valentin Königshofer, Kai Shimada, Ken Rischard, Lukas Weidmann
Music Elisabeth Rollenitz, Matthias Gerstner, Selini Quartett
Scoring Engineer Jón Geirfinnsson, Benedikt Palier
Makeup Artist Gabriela Rybka, Stephanie Raffaela
VFX Supervisor Lisa Vogt, Felix Pichler
VFX Valerie Wöllner, Mariana Fabre, Alejandra Murillo, Pia Wolkenstein, Florian Grünberger, Judith Selenko
Animatronic Special Effects Matthias Halibrand
Re-Recording Mixer Bernhard Maisch
Graphic Design Barbara Hoffmann / The Graphic Society
Funding Verein der Freunde der Filmakademie Wien, ISA 2019
Awards 2020 / 2021
Max Ophüls Preis: Best Short Film (Germany),Deutscher Schauspielpreis: Fairness-Preis 2021 (Germany),
Drama International Short Film Festival: Grand Prix (Greece),
Brisbane International Film Festival: Special Jury Award (Australia),
Filmschoolfest Munich: Audience Award (Germany),
Watersprite Film Festival Cambridge: Best Fiction Award (UK),
Bamberger Kurzfilmtage: Best Fiction Award (Germany),
Cinekid Festival Amsterdam: Best International Live Action Short (Netherlands),
BuSho – Budapest International Short Film Festival: Best Comedy Award (Hungary),
Durham Region International Film Festival: Best Short Film (Canada),
Independent Days Karlsruhe: Main Award (Germany),
Rüsselsheimer Filmtage: Main Award (Germany),
Festival of Nations: Best Austrian Short (Austria),
FILMthuer – Thüringer Kurzfilmfestival: Jury Prize (Germany),
Kurzsuechtig – Mitteldeutsches Kurzfilmfestival Leipzig: Audience Award & Honorable Mention of the Jury (Germany),
Elba Film Festival: Best Screenplay (Italy),
International Kids Film Festival: Best Direction (India),
Blackbird Film Festival: Most Original Film 2021 (USA),
Lublin Film Festival: Best Idea Award (Poland),
Flatland Film Festival: Main Award “Best in Fest” (USA),
Malta International Short Film Festival: Golden Knight Award (Malta),
International Children’s Film Festival of Jaipur: Best Short Fiction Film (India),
Muestra Intergaláctica de Cine: Best Short Film (Mexico),
Universo Corto International Short Film Festival: Artistic Direction Award (Italy),
Soria International Film Fest: Best Short Film / Musical Section (Spain),
Kurzfilmtage Thalmässing: 2nd Audience Award (Germany),
Les Petits Claps: 3rd Audience Award (Germany / France),
Blende Eins – Kurzfilmfest Wilhelmshaven: 3rd Audience Award (Germany)
Malatesta Short Film Festival: Special Mention (Italy),
Jaipur International Film Festival: Special Jury Mention (India),
Taos Shortz Film Fest: Honorable Mention (USA),
Österreichischer Filmpreis: Nominee Best Short Film (Austria),
FIRST STEPS Award: Nominee Michael Ballhaus Camera Award (Germany),
Festivals
41. Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis (Germany)44th Cleveland International Film Festival (USA)
17th Vienna Shorts Festival (Austria)
24. Kurzfilmtage Thalmässing (Germany)
30. Filmkunstfestival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin (Germany)
27. Diagonale – Festival des österreichischen Films (Austria)
30. Internationales Filmfest Emden-Norderney (Germany)
5th Ennesimo Film Festival (Italy)
27. Rüsselsheimer Filmtage (Germany)
15th SEEfest – South East European Film Festival (USA)
22th Motovun Film Festival (Croatia)
17. Kurzsuechtig – Mitteldeutsches Kurzfilmfestival Leipzig (Germany)
18th Molise Cinema Film Festival (Italy)
4th Malatesta Short Film Festival (Italy)
12. Shortynale Filmfestival Klosterneuburg (Austria)
44. Open-Air Filmfest Weiterstadt (Germany)
8th Filmfestival Kitzbühel (Austria)
16th BuSho – International Short Film Festival Budapest (Hungary)
13th “Wiz-Art” – Lviv International Film Festival (Ukraine)
21th FIRST STEPS Award (Germany)
15th Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival (USA)
3rd Dolomitale (Italy)
16. FILMthuer – Thüringer Kurzfilmfestival (Germany)
48th Festival of Nations, Lenzing (Austria)
49th Sehsüchte – International Student Film Festival Babelsberg (Germany)
43rd Drama International Short Film Festival (Greece)
28th Brisbane International Film Festival (Australia)
10th Kaohsiung Film Festival (Taiwan)
13. Filmzeit Kaufbeuren (Germany)
3rd Kino Shot – Cherkasy Short Film Festival (Ukraine)
4th Durham Region International Film Festival (Canada)
18th Plein la Bobine Film Festival (France)
19th Festival International De Films De Court Métrage Déjà Primés (France)
20th Independent Days – Internationales Filmfest Karlsruhe (Germany)
18. Festival international Signes de Nuit (France)
10th International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (Cyprus)
37th Tehran International Short Film Festival (Iran)
8th Ajyal Youth Film Festival (Qatar)
39th Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival (Finland)
2nd Visioni Fantastiche (Italy)
4th Pittsburgh Shorts (USA)
39½ Filmschoolfest Munich (Germany)
29th Soria International Film Festival (Spain)
24th PÖFF – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia)
24. Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, 2020 (Switzerland)
20th Whistler Film Festival (Canada)
32nd Aguilar Film Festival (Spain)
8th Muestra Intergaláctica de Cine (Mexico)
31. Kinofest Lünen (Germany)
2nd Jakarta Independent Film Festival (Indonesia)
12th Les Petits Claps (Germany)
13th Jaipur International Film Festival (India)
5th PequeFilmes – International Short Film Festival for Kids of Galicia (Spain)
4th Berlin Student Film Festival (Germany)
Petit Plan: Europa II (Greece)
31. Bamberger Kurzfilmtage (Germany)
16th Prague Short Film Festival (Czech Republic)
12th Watersprite Cambridge International Film Festival (UK)
8th Snowdance Film Festival (Germany)
9th Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival (Hungary)
7th Short Movie Club Minsk (Belarus)
15th Taos Shortz Film Festival (USA)
4th New Delhi Film Festival (India)
24th Sonoma International Film Festival (USA)
17th Akbank Short Film Festival (Turkey)
13th Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen (Netherlands)
54th WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival (USA)
44. Internationale Grenzland-Filmtage Selb (Germany)
33rd Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival (Annual Shorts Nights) (USA)
1st Mieres Film Festival (Spain)
21. Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival (Germany)
10th Carmarthen Bay Film Festival (UK)
22. Schweinfurter Kurzfilmtage (Germany)
7th Blackbird Film Festival (USA)
3rd KinoFest Φεστιβάλ Γερμανόφωνου Κινηματογράφου (Greece)
25th LA Shorts International Film Festival (USA)
38. Filmfest München (Germany)
42nd Durban International Film Festival (South Africa)
24th Revelation Perth International Film Festival (Australien)
15th River Film Festival (Italy)
14th Universo Corto (Italy)
11th Social World Film Festival (Italy)
3rd Juvinale Salzburg (Austria)
2nd Jakarta Independent Film Festival (Indonesia)
6th Defy Film Festival (USA)
3rd Scario Short Film Festival (Italy)
Fürstenfelder Kinosommer (Germany)
25th Encounters Film Festival (UK)
37th Boston Film Festival (USA)
32nd Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival (Canada)
18th Flatland Film Festival (USA)
16th Shorts Mexico (Mexico)
12th Leiden Shorts (Netherlands)
9th KFF – Kraljevski Filmski Festival (Serbia)
8° Firenze Film Corti Festival (Italy)
6. Blende Eins – Shortfilmfest Wilhelmshaven (Germany)
3rd Elba Film Festival (Italy)
2nd FLIGHT – Mostra Internazionale del Cinema di Genova (Italy)
12. Les Petits Claps – Cinema Edition (Germany)
18th Bend Film Festival (USA)
20th San Diego International Film Festival (USA)
35th Cinekid Festival Amsterdam (Netherlands)
36. Filmfest Osnabrück (Germany)
26th Rabat International Author Film Festival (Morocco)
13th Naples International Film Festival (USA)
10th Washington West International Film Festival (USA)
9th West Nordic International Film Festival Ålesund (Norway)
9th Accessible Film Festival (Turkey)
7. Allgäuer Filmfeschdival (Germany)
Kurzfilmabend Burghausen (Germany)
38th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (USA)
35. Internationales Filmfestival Braunschweig (Germany)
59th Malta International Short Film Festival (Malta)
16e L’Europe Autour de l’Europe Film Festival (France)
15th Lublin Film Festival (Poland)
10th Shorts That Are Not Pants (Canada)
8th STIFF – Student International Film Festival (Croatia)
6th Sherman Oaks Film Festival (USA)
5th Almaty Indie Film Festival (Kazakhstan)
3rd Annual Aarhus Film Festival (Denmark)
5th Melbourne Short Film Festival (Australia)
13th Providence Children’s Film Festival (USA)
29th Film Neu Washington, Films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (USA)
27th Leuven International Short Film Fest (Belgium)
4th Rome prisma Film Awards (Italy)
10th Short Film Breaks (Romania)
18th Dam Short Film Festival (USA)
In Short – Europe Film Festival London (UK)
3rd Cine Talks – International Film Festival Graz (Austria)
43rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (United Arab Emirates)
6th Okotoks Film Festival (Canada)
17th Southside Film Festival Pennsylvania (USA)
19th Indy Film Fest Indianopolis (USA)
32nd ADA Director’s Screening (Austria)
4th Little Island Festival (Greece)
4th IKFF – International Kids Film Festival (India)
12th Seoul International Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival (South Corea)
15th Festival Internacional de Cinema de Bueu (Spain)
The film is part of educational programs at schools in USA, France and Germany.