Local Heroes

A leather jacket and eyes blackened with make-up. Tommy is a musician with heart, having long outlived his idol, Kurt Cobain. Like him, though, he is also self-destructive and is drawn increasingly into a musical mania and alcohol excess. For the dream of a record contract, promised to the winner of local band contest, he will go to any lengths. The driven individual stops for no one – be it others or himself.

Directed by Henning Backhaus, Local Heroes leans on a strong ensemble — Thiemo Strutzenberger, Laura Louisa Garde, Michaela Schausberger — 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 2013.