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by Bernhard Braunstein
grade: 7.5
Stams is the imagine of a world of dreams, of fears, of hopes. The image not of one, but of many stories of young people who have chosen a difficult path, but who desperately want to live to the full with all that life has to offer them. At the Berlinale 2023.
Dreaming of the Olympics
To achieve one’s goals, we know, one has to work hard. And when one’s goal is actually to take part in the Olympics, the challenge becomes even greater. The students of a special elite school in Stams in the Tyrolean Alps know something about this. At this school, they train every day with very specific goals. The effort is great, just like the tension and the fear of failure. Director Bernhard Braunstein’s documentary Stams, which premiered at the Berlinale 2023 in the Panorama Dokumente section, provides a vivid insight into this unique reality.
Stams, therefore, is a faithful portrait of a reality that few people know about. A singular, almost unique reality that would even seem to belong to a world apart. Inside the school, students undergo tough training every day, their bodies and muscles are constantly measured and strengthened by modern machines. Meanwhile, the risks of injuries that could ruin their careers forever are quite high. If this were to happen, it would be a disaster. Yet despite everything, they always find time for a chat with friends, to watch an episode of Germany’s Next Topmodel or to eat a slice of pizza before going to bed (“there’s nothing better than a cold pizza”).
Bernhard Braunstein showed us all this by simply letting the images and the vicissitudes of the students speak for themselves, without the need for captions. The music is well chosen and minimalist. The directorial approach taken, which makes a reverent observation of the facts by the camera its greatest strength, is almost reminiscent of the documentaries of the great Frederick Wiseman. A particularly interesting approach that allows the viewer to identify with the young protagonists from the very first minutes, making him or her feel part of that so singular, so alienating, so fascinating world. Stams needs nothing else to convey the essence of that place.
At the same time, close-ups on the young faces of the protagonists, details of their bodies, but also wild ski runs and desperate crying make this documentary by Bernhard Braunstein extremely dynamic, vibrant and pulsating. A constant tension, but, above all, many, many different emotions take centre stage on screen. Stams is the image of a world of dreams, of fears, of hopes. The image not of one, but of many stories of young people who have chosen a difficult path, but who desperately want to live to the full with all that life has to offer them. Selections for the new school year have just begun. For some parents it can be difficult to be separated from their children for a long time. However, the smiling – and somewhat shy – faces of the new students convey a pleasant optimism.
Original title: Stams
Directed by: Bernhard Braunstein
Country/year: Austria / 2023
Running time: 97’
Genre: documentary
Screenplay: Bernhard Braunstein, Lixi Frank
Cinematography: Serafin Spitzer
Produced by: Panama Film