October 2023 (G.T.) - Austrian director Hermann Weiskopf is once again drawing international attention with his new feature film, “Ride Back to Best Age”. In recent years, the multi award winning director from Innsbruck has fascinated critics and audiences alike in numerous film festivals, from Europe to the States, with films and original, captivating, and authentic road movie documentaries. His previous docufilm was “Ride Back to Freedom” (2021), filmed between Austria and Italy, from Innsbruck to Lampedusa, astride his Vespa GTS: ( www.ridebacktofreedom.com).
Hermann Weiskopf’s Vespa GTV, “Co-star” of his new docufilm. He “fell in love” with her in July in Pisa, on the occasion of the screening of “Ride Back to Freedom”. At the event, the dealer Motorteam exhibited the new Vespa model and for Hermann it was an immediate “fatal attraction”. He comments, “My new Vespa GTV drew a lot of attention during filming, attracting looks from the public. Travelling with her is comfortable. She is just aggressive enough and has an inimitable design.” Words of the director-actor-Vespista.
And now Weiskopf has just finished filming (three weeks in September 2023), his new docufilm, "Ride back to Best Age" focused on the search for the meaning of life, especially as one gets on in years, and on the sense of the passing of time and how it changes people. Astride his Vespa, he set off in search of the meaning, the risks, and the happiness of “growing old”.
Photo on the left, the director (first on the left) during a break in filming in the observation tower at the peak of Alpbachtal (near Wiedersbergerhorn, Austria), the departure and arrival point of the film. In the photo on the right, the crew: from the left, Bernhard Freinademetz, Elly Senger-Weiss, and Chris Meischl. Photo courtesy of AVG Filmproduktion.
Tyrol natives have always had a special relationship with mountains. "In times of crisis and self-reflection, when we ask ourselves deep questions about life, we are attracted by heights," Hermann Weiskopf says. It is precisely there, at the peak of the Alpbachtal, over 2,000 metres above sea level, that Weiskopf’s most recent cinematographic adventure begins. The 13-metre-tall observation tower becomes the film’s starting point and its grand finale is also there.
In Ski Juwel Alpbachtal Wildschönau rises the Top of Alpbachtal. With its scenic tower, it provides a spectacular 360° view over the Tyrol mountains, a kingdom of gorgeous scenery during every season.
Source of images: www.instagram.com/alpbachtal_tirol
Source of images: www.facebook.com/hermann.weiskopf/?locale=it_IT
"The mountains of the Alpbach valley are a good starting place for this journey because they are the emblem of the beauty of the Tyrol Alpine world. Here anyone can find their wanderlust. From a short stroll to the big tour on the Wiedersbergerhorn," says Markus Kofler, general manager of Alpbachtal Tourismus.
Info: www.alpbachtal.at/de
Scenes from the film “Ride Back to Best Age”: actor, star, and director - Hermann Weiskopf. Photo courtesy of AVG Filmproduktion.
Weiskopf (61 years of energy and enthusiasm) asks himself a question that involves many people his age and one that is extremely current, especially in Europe where the average age of the population is on the rise. And the question is, am I old or in the prime of my life? A look in the mirror shows the sign of the times, but the interior child, who still feels like he’s a thirty-something, laughs at him. With this profound question as the driving force, Weiskopf gets on his new Vespa and begins a journey from Tyrol, in the Alpbach Valley, to Lake Garda. It is also the spiritual starting point of a search to make sense of things which will continue on the road. His path crosses unique characters from the “Best Age”, that is, over-60s. They share their opinions with him on issues such as work, love, faith, pleasures, solitude, and the end of life.
In some scenes of the film “Ride Back to Best Age” with star and director Hermann Weiskopf, his son Enzo and wife Paola Vacca also have a part. Photo courtesy of AVG Filmproduktion.
For this second on-the-road docufilm, Weiskopf once again chose a Vespa as his means of transportation. Here not only as an elegant and iconic vehicle, but also as an “ice-breaker”. "Vespa has character and charm. People are much more open and willing to talk when I approach them with the Vespa," the director says.
In the 90-minute cinematographic and television documentary, Weiskopf is active as director, not only behind the camera, but also in front of it as an actor. Filming lasted three weeks, primarily in Tyrol and Italy. And, whereas his previous documentary “Ride Back to Freedom” was low budget with only essential staff, this time, he received the support of a larger team, thanks in part to the notoriety that his previous films gained on an international level.
Photo courtesy of AVG Filmproduktion.
"Ride Back to Best Age" is not intended to inspire only an Austrian audience. After its release in national cinemas in May 2024, the film will be presented at various international film festivals. Starting in July, the documentary will then be available for a broader audience on Servus TV in Austria, Germany, and Eastern Switzerland. For Weiskopf, the journey truly began when he accompanied his first film to its screenings, meeting the public and nurturing a direct relationship with people, including the numerous Vespisti from various countries who participate in the screenings.
Hermann Weiskopf facebook: www.facebook.com/hermann.weiskopf/?locale=it_IT
The unstoppable Weiskopf already has other projects in the works, including the third and final documentary in the “on the road trilogy… Ride Back to…” We’ll be talking more about that, but it is almost certain that Mr. Hermann will once again choose a Vespa as his travel and film companion. In the meantime, with "Ride back to Best Age", Weiskopf enriches the cinema world with another authentic, and profound work that provokes both reflection and smiles.
“Ride Back to Best Age” by and with Hermann Weiskopf. Production direction: Elly Senger-Weiss. Photography, camera, and sound direction: Bernhard Freinademetz and Chris Meischl. Wardrobe: Gwen McGuir. Music composition: Bernhard Falkner, Script: Dr. Peter Mair and Kirsten Ossoinig. AVG Filmproduktion: www.avgproduktion.com
VESPA GTV:
www.vespa.com/en_EN/models/gtv
