Glossary of Broken Dreams

Glossary of Broken Dreams from 2018 by director Johannes Grenzfurthner is an enlightening, thought-provoking, and rather unconventional exploration of contemporary ideologies and political concepts. The documentary-style, experimental film stars Johannes Grenzfurthner, Charlie Poulon, and Daniel Hasibar, who bring a true sense of life and vigour to its narration and execution. The film aims to unpack and understand the underlying presumptions, aspirations, and presumptions of the modern world within its 99-minute runtime.

The film's title, Glossary of Broken Dreams, is apt as it unravels the labyrinth of concepts that have been distorted, misunderstood, or simply forgotten in the rush of today's fast-paced world. It is a film that dares to question the unquestioned, challenge the accepted, and lay bare the assumptions we make about society and politics.

Johannes Grenzfurthner, the director, writer, and lead actor of the film, dives deep into the core of contemporary ideologies, questioning concepts like freedom, privacy, identity, and capitalism. With an open, exploratory approach, he delves into the essential idiosyncrasies of these ideologies, highlighting the paradoxes and contradictions within them.

One of the main strengths of Glossary of Broken Dreams is its unique presentation style. Essentially a series of interviews, animations, and discussions broken up into short segments, the film plays like a vibrant and intriguing lecture. This hybrid approach to storytelling helps in engaging the viewer and maintaining their interest throughout the film.

A key feature of the film is Grenzfurthner's interviewing style. He doesn't merely seek information from interviewees; he attempts to engage them in meaningful and revealing conversations about the subjects at hand.

Charlie Poulon and Daniel Hasibar, both play integral parts in these discussions, animatedly jumping in and out of character, questioning or reinforcing the concepts Grenzfurthner presents. This balance of the satirical and the serious, involving performances, successfully create a thought-provoking atmosphere in the film.

Another standout aspect of Glossary of Broken Dreams is the prominent use of animation. The film uses this regularly to demystify complex subjects, making them accessible and interesting. Grenzfurthner intensely uses this visual tool in the storytelling process, adding a layer of imagery and punctuation to the often heavy and gritty discussions.

From a narrative perspective, Glossary of Broken Dreams is unconventional, but this fits perfectly with its ethos. The interconnected segments each stand alone as an exploration of a separate topic - such as capitalism, privacy, or democracy - but they also combine into a larger whole, presenting a holistic understanding of the convoluted world of ideas.

The film toys with the line between abstraction and tangibility, operating in a space where ideas and concepts can be simultaneous expressions of reality and yet exist as separate and distinct entities. This layered approach to its subject matter adds to the film's depth and complexity.

Ultimately, Glossary of Broken Dreams is a daring examination of the landscape of modern ideas, presented in a unique and engaging narrative style. Its combination of interviews, animations and discussions unfold the layers of understanding around the philosophies and ideologies that define our social and political realities.

Grenzfurthner, Poulon, and Hasibar excel in their roles, delivering credible performances amid the labyrinth of complex concepts. The film does not claim to provide definite answers, but instead, it successfully illuminates the zig-zags and turns in the realm of contemporary ideologies.

As an audience, you are taken on a journey where the known is questioned, the accepted is refuted and the obvious is looked at from an entirely different perspective. Glossary of Broken Dreams is not just a film but an awakening and invigorating journey into understanding the underpinnings of our modern world. It's a film that perhaps doesn't provide a road-map, but one that does shine a torch on the ground beneath our feet, the world we walk on, but rarely consider.