You are here:

State of the Nation

Name: State of the Nation
Director: Michael Glawogger, Ulrich Seidl, Michael Sturminger, Barbara Albert
Released: 2002
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

9.1/10

Excellent

2002

Director

Michael Glawogger, Ulrich Seidl, Michael Sturminger, Barbara Albert

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This documentary omnibus provides a fragmented, observational survey of Austrian society. By utilizing a multi-director structure, it deconstructs national identity through localized, often uncomfortable human vignettes. It successfully challenges the monolithic perception of a stable European state. The film excels at systemic critique, particularly regarding how economic necessity shapes gender roles and social mores. It avoids moralizing, instead presenting the breakdown of traditional institutions as a complex reality of the modern condition. However, the representation of disability has little control over what happens to them, focusing more on vulnerability than character depth. While it captures ethnic diversity authentically, the film's primary strength lies in its structural subversion of nationalistic pride.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does State of the Nation have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film explores non-traditional sexual behaviors and social dynamics outside the norm. It avoids framing relationships as exclusively heterosexual by focusing on transactional intimacy and individual isolation, allowing for queer-coded behaviors outside the nuclear family structure.

How does State of the Nation portray gender?

Good

Gender is presented as a fluid, transactional social performance rather than a fixed role. The film destabilizes traditional hierarchies by centering on the commodification of gender and the mechanics of economic power.

How racially and ethnically diverse is State of the Nation?

Fair

The documentary captures a range of ethnic identities within urban environments. It avoids presenting a homogeneous white identity, instead documenting diverse populations within the socioeconomic margins of Austria.

How does State of the Nation represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film deconstructs national myths by documenting the coexistence of ordinary citizens and extremist political sentiments. It critiques capitalist structures and the commodification of human connection through a fly-on-the-wall aesthetic.

Does State of the Nation include disability representation?

Fair

Subjects are often portrayed in states of physical or mental vulnerability and social isolation. The film maintains a gritty tone, observing human frailty without providing characters with proactive ability to act.

Present on Screen

Deconstructs national myths through a sophisticated, non-patriotic lens.
Highlights the commodification of identity to subvert traditional gender hierarchies.
Provides an unvarnished, authentic depiction of multicultural urban realities.
Maintains a gritty, realistic tone regarding human frailty without resorting to 'inspiration porn'.

Limited or Absent

Disability representation lacks proactive ability to act, focusing heavily on vulnerability.
Specific LGBTQ+ identities are often implied rather than explicitly categorized.
The fragmented structure may feel disconnected for viewers seeking a cohesive narrative.

Official Synopsis

Four film-makers embark on a cinematic survey of Austria, documenting the political and social state of the nation and its people. An eye-opening experience. In the wake of the 1999 elections, four filmmakers decided to go out with cameras in hand and gauge the mood of their countrymen, who had made Jörg Haider's FPO party the second most powerful in Austria. What they found was a country apparently "like any other" , filled with nice ordinary people. Who feel perfectly comfortable dreaming of a possible future without foreigners, or speaking with equanimity about the old days of the Third Reich.

How are these scores produced? →