Family Dinner

Simone, called Simi (Nina Katlein), is 15 years old, overweight and has been invited to her aunt Claudia's (Pia Hierzegger) remote farm for the Easter vacations. Simi hopes that her aunt - a well-known nutritionist - can help her lose weight. But what begins as a harmless diet stay quickly turns into a sinister power play. Claudia subjects Simi to a strict zero diet and exhibits increasingly disturbing behavior. The family atmosphere is tense, especially the relationship with Simi's cousin Filipp and his stepfather Stefan is difficult. Simi discovers occult symbols, runes and references to ritual practices. As she tries to escape, it becomes clear that a dangerous secret lurks behind the facade of healthy eating. Like a frog in boiling water: In its mixture of psychological horror, occult thriller and family drama, Peter Hengl's film explores very personal themes such as internal family manipulation, teenage self-esteem issues and the dark side of diet culture and rituals. The eerie atmosphere and the slow pace of the narrative in the supposedly idyllic home movie setting heighten the tension right up to the shocking finale and are reminiscent of the daylight horror shocker “Midsommer”. With its daring mix, “Family Dinner” made it to the Tribeca Film Festival and the Viennale.