Afterwards: “Culture is the new salt – the start of the Capital of Culture year” with highlights of the opening weekend – on January 22nd from 10:30 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – The “kulturMontag” presented by Peter Schneeberger on January 22nd, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. on ORF 2 initially deals with the recent film “Persona Non Grata” by Antonin Svoboda, which tells a case of abuse based on the story of the former Austrian ski racer Nicola Werdenigg. Lead actress Gerti Drassl and Nicola Werdenigg are live in the studio. Furthermore, the program on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s death and newly published literature sheds light on the political legacy of the fanatical Russian revolutionary, which has once again come into the public eye as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In addition, in anticipation of a new amendment to the education law, the importance of art teaching in Austrian schools is one of the topics of the program.
Following the magazine, ORF 2 will show the highlights of last weekend’s big opening event with the production “’Culture is the new salt’ – The European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut 2024” (11:25 p.m., ORF 2), designed by Madlene Feyrer and Tatjana Berlakovich Bad Ischl, which includes Hubert von Goisern, Conchita alias Tom Neuwirth and the dancer and choreographer Doris Uhlich. In between, the responsible artistic director Elisabeth Schweeger, leading curators and artists provide insight into the planning and direction of the major Capital of Culture project, which will last several months. ORF III will broadcast the ceremonial opening live on Saturday, January 20th at 5:30 p.m.
A courageous woman – Nicola Werdnigg’s fight against abuse in the film “Persona Non Grata”
Their revelations made waves in the Austrian ski circuit and set the #MeToo movement in motion here. In 2017, former downhill ski champion Nicola Werdenigg reported in a daily newspaper about structural abuse of power and sexual violence in alpine skiing. The trigger for this was an article about an abusive volleyball coach, which prompted the ex-ski racer to make her own experiences from the 1970s public. The now 65-year-old woman from Innsbruck described growing up in an ambitious ski dynasty, her time at the ski boarding school, the sexualized atmosphere there, fueled by a pedo-criminal home director, and her own rape shortly after a World Cup race. Werdenigg was threatened with lawsuits and various sides accused her of lying. Later, her statements about the existing sexual violence, especially among young skiers, were confirmed by a Tyrolean expert commission. Other victims came forward and several cases of abuse became known. Dismissals in the ski association and final convictions followed. Even today, the Tyrolean remains committed to these issues. The Austrian director Antonin Svoboda is now bringing Nicola Werdenigg’s story to local cinemas from January 26th in his latest work “Persona Non Grata”, which is supported by ORF as part of the film/television agreement, and stars Gerti Drassl. Nicola Werdingg and actress Gerti Drassl are live guests in the studio.
A fanatical revolutionary – On the 100th anniversary of Lenin’s death
He was sharp-tongued and radical in his positions, sober and cold-hearted in his strategies: Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known by his nom de guerre Lenin – Marxist theorist, revolutionary, founder of the Soviet Union, the largest state on earth, who promised people a bright future, but brought violence and oppression and sank into chaos after 70 years. Violence and terror were integral parts of his idea of exercising power from the beginning. His priorities were not the suffering people, but rather a politics that asked neither morality nor compassion. With Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Lenin’s political legacy is once again in the public eye. His politics, almost forgotten in his homeland, suddenly served as a justification for war for the Russian president in February 2022. He claimed that it was Lenin and the Bolsheviks who created the Ukrainian state. The independent Ukraine – for Putin, a betrayal by Lenin. In the run-up to the 100th anniversary of his death at the end of January, the Austrian historian duo Verena Moritz and Hannes Leidinger have undertaken a reassessment with the new biography “Lenin” and best-selling author Michael Köhlmeier also resurrects the fanatical revolutionary in his new novel “The Philosopher’s Ship”. . Who was this man who went from visionary to dictator, had such a significant influence on world history and apparently laid a fuse right up to the present day? ORF correspondent Carola Schneider talks live from Moscow.
Art, culture and creativity – quo vadis art lessons?
When we talk about schools, it’s usually about poor PISA results, a lack of money for the digitalization of educational institutions and a shortage of teachers. The government is recruiting career changers and students are being sent into classes ever earlier, long before they graduate. This is now to be regulated by an amendment to the law: on the one hand, the teacher training course for secondary school will be shortened by one year, and on the other hand, so-called protective functions for young teachers will be introduced. After completing your bachelor’s degree, you should receive a maximum of half a teaching obligation, not have to take on a class leadership role and not have to give any lessons in a non-subject area. In addition, the induction phase, i.e. the accompanied start phase in the job, is credited towards the part-time master’s degree. The review period for the legislative package ends in mid-February. The problems in Austria’s schools not only affect the so-called main subjects; there are also far too few trained teachers in the creative subjects. What place do the so-called artistic subjects have in this discourse? In an increasingly digitalized world, why is it important to teach children art and let them be creative themselves? “kulturMontag” explores these questions and visits the Linz University of Art as well as art classes in middle schools and high schools.
Documentary “Culture is the new salt – start to the Capital of Culture year” (11:25 p.m.)
When a choir of 1,000 voices starts yodeling on Saturday, January 20th, the 2024 Capital of Culture will be ceremoniously opened in the spa gardens of the banner town of Bad Ischl. For the first time in history, a rural Alpine region has been awarded this coveted title. A total of 23 communities from two federal states with different population structures and characteristics such as tourism, industry and agriculture are involved. Not easy to reconcile.
The Salzkammergut, a region rich in history and culture, which always presents itself to the world through themes such as postcard idylls, summer resorts, Austro-Hungarian nostalgia and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is now searching for its cultural identity in the present and future. A space for ideas, reflection and exchange is created and critical discourse is sparked. Characteristics, traditions and perspectives are shown, shared, questioned and, in the best case, expanded. What is common is placed above what divides and becomes a model for the European Union.
The opening series confronts the present with regional traditions such as yodeling, traditional costume and bird catching – exemplary of the various artistic interventions that can be found again and again in the program throughout the year.
Also taking part are local hero Hubert von Goisern, Eurovision Song Contest winner Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita and the performance artist Doris Uhlich. The artistic potential of this region is shown, awareness is created, and a society is formed for the present. A careful look back at tradition and customs enables a clever and thoughtful design of the future of a region for young and old.