Wagrain-Kleinarl Saga

In tourism, the mountains, the region and the people have increasingly become consumer goods, trails, leisure activities and service providers, thus visibly losing their dignity as a natural environment. The task that the Wagrain-Kleinarl tourism region set me was to find a counter-model to this. Films that enable authentic encounters not only on the outside, but also on the inside. I have always seen my film work as social work. It's about relationships in front of and behind the camera, the quality of which can be felt in the finished film. In this respect, my work is based on curiosity and respect for the people who place their trust in me and the aim is to get close to their essence. This search for tangible authenticity is at the heart of my documentary work.
The interesting thing about the task set by Wagrain-Klainarl Tourism for me was precisely this search. It is a documentary approach that involves the local people in tourism communication without kitsching or romanticizing them. The authenticity is palpable and surprising in its contrast to the usual advertising backdrop. In fact, according to my previous film research, this is precisely where the opportunity for tourism lies. To trust in what is.
The result is five short films with the great vis-à-vis Wolfgang Wild from Wagrain-Kleinarl Tourism:
The Wagrain-Kleinarl Saga

On May 20, 2025, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism presented awards to the best business films of the past two years at the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. A high-caliber jury selected 15 finalists from numerous submissions, five of which were each awarded a nomination for the State Prize for Business Film in their own categories.
The “Wagrain-Kleinarl Saga” impressed in the particularly coveted “Brand/Image” category and is therefore officially one of the 5 best business films in Austria.
In its statement, the jury emphasized the special style of the YouTube series: “The courage to break out of the competition for the ever-shorter attention span of the viewer and to create cinematic experiences that give the impressions time and space to have a profound effect and to grab the viewer emotionally and sensually.”