My Mother, My Bride And I

At 41, Erwin Kobarek still lives with his mother, with whom he runs a petrol station in the countryside. A relationship has not yet materialized for Erwin. When his mother senses that her son needs a wife, she sends Erwin to a marriage agency in Romania. And indeed, Erwin returns with a young Romanian woman, Irina Bobescu. She sets something irreversible in motion in him: the detachment from his mother and the moulting from boy to belated man.

Directed by Hans Steinbichler, My Mother, My Bride And I leans on a strong ensemble — Matthias Brandt, Monica Bleibtreu, Maria Popistașu — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2008.