Austria‘s political situation is a cause for concern, but it‘s also ripe for ridicule. Satires work particularly well in such climates. Elena Tikhonova‘s KAVIAR focuses on political insiders and corruption and amplifies situations until they become grotesque. Nadja (Margarita Breitkreiz) has got her hands full as the translator and personal assistant of oligarch Igor (Mikhail Evlanov). The single mom does everything she can to keep the choleric Russian happy. When the loopy billionaire plans to build a palace on the Viennese Bridge in the capital‘s center, Klaus (Georg Friedrich) enters the game. He is meant to schmooze with the authorities, but he‘s more busy with setting as much blackmail money to the side for himself. His future ex-wife Vera (Darya Nosik) finds out about it and plans to sabotage the deal and profit from it together with Nadja and her babysitter with criminal connections, Teresa (Sabrina Reiter). Just like Steve McQueen‘s WIDOWS from last year, the women work out a plan to make the men look stupid. There‘s a lot of chaos on the way due to constant plan changes in the entertaining 100 minute film. The fresh trio Margarita Breizkreiz (MARIJA), Darya Nosik, and Sabrina Reiter are all game. Georg Friedrich (WILDE MAUS) and Simon Schwarz (KOMM SÜSSER TOD) are convincing as sleazy adversaries. Director Elena Tikhonova uses her perspective on the Russian jet set in Vienna to make a well-paced, visually playful comedy that won the audience award at the 40th Max Ophüls Prize at the Saarbrücken Festival.

Lars Tunçay

Translation: Elinor Lewy