Helikopter-Hausarrest (2014)
A quietly affecting German documentary capturing house arrest, daily routine, and the slow rekindling of a mother-son bond.
Helikopter-Hausarrest - Movie Information
- Original Title: Helikopter-Hausarrest
- Release Year: 2014
- Directed by: Constantin Hatz
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Documentary
- Runtime: 38m
- Original Language: German
- Spoken Languages: German
- Release Date (Theatrical): January 2, 2014 (Germany)
- Production Companies: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
- Production Countries: Germany
Helikopter-Hausarrest - Plot
Held captive in his mother's house with a shackle on his leg, 27-year-old Benjamin serves a ten-month custodial sentence. The small house in the outskirts of Vienna is cramped. Benjamin makes music, lifts weights and flies his helicopter. His mother works, folds laundry and makes phone calls. Then in the evening they eat together. The distance that has built up between them over the years gradually gets smaller again. A totally different kind of family reunion.
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Helikopter-Hausarrest - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Constantin Hatz
Helikopter-Hausarrest - FAQs
What is Helikopter-Hausarrest about?
Helikopter-Hausarrest follows Benjamin, a 27-year-old serving a ten-month custodial sentence under house arrest at his mother's cramped home on the outskirts of Vienna. The film quietly observes their daily routines — music, laundry, shared meals — as years of emotional distance between mother and son slowly begin to dissolve.
Who directed Helikopter-Hausarrest?
Helikopter-Hausarrest was directed by Constantin Hatz, a filmmaker associated with the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The short documentary reflects the observational, intimate style often cultivated in film school productions, letting the story unfold naturally without heavy-handed narration or intervention.
Is Helikopter-Hausarrest based on a true story?
Yes, Helikopter-Hausarrest is a documentary, meaning it captures real events. Benjamin is a real person serving an actual custodial sentence under house arrest, and the film observes his genuine day-to-day life alongside his mother in their Vienna home. Nothing is scripted or staged — it's an authentic portrait of confinement and family.
How long is Helikopter-Hausarrest?
Helikopter-Hausarrest runs for 38 minutes, making it a short documentary. Despite its brief runtime, the film manages to build a surprisingly rich and nuanced portrait of its subject, capturing the rhythms of house arrest and the quiet emotional shifts between Benjamin and his mother with remarkable depth.
What makes Helikopter-Hausarrest unique as a documentary?
Rather than focusing on crime or punishment in a sensational way, Helikopter-Hausarrest zeroes in on the mundane textures of confinement — lifting weights, flying a toy helicopter, folding laundry. It reframes house arrest as an unexpected opportunity for a mother and son to slowly rediscover each other across years of accumulated distance.
When was Helikopter-Hausarrest released?
Helikopter-Hausarrest was released on January 2, 2014, in Germany. It was produced by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany's most respected film schools, and represents the kind of intimate, observational documentary work the institution is known for nurturing in emerging filmmakers.
What are similar documentaries to Helikopter-Hausarrest?
If you enjoyed Helikopter-Hausarrest, you might also appreciate The Mole Agent (2020), Selfie (2019), My Daughter's Killer (2022), Heart of a Dog (2015), or Notturno (2020). These documentaries share a similarly intimate, observational approach, exploring personal stories and human relationships with quiet, unhurried attention.
What language is Helikopter-Hausarrest in?
Helikopter-Hausarrest is in German. The film was produced in Germany by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, and the story itself is set in a home on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria — so the German-language setting feels entirely natural and integral to the documentary's intimate, everyday atmosphere.
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