It’s been a little while, but we still want to share it with our friends, customers, and partners: The film “GRIECHENLAND” hit Austrian cinemas in the spring and has already attracted over 250,000 moviegoers. This makes it the most successful Austrian film in over 6 years 😮. The film tells the story of a hotelier’s son who travels from Vienna to Greece and, through a series of events, learns how to produce the “Greek gold,” olive oil.

If this story sounds familiar, it’s no surprise: Thomas Stipsits, the renowned Austrian cabaret artist and actor, was deeply inspired by the story of MANI and used that inspiration to create his latest film – a light-hearted comedy filled with Greek music, sunshine, and zest for life.

Below, we share photos from the premiere, and we also asked Fritz and Burgi Bläuel what they thought of the film.

Interview with Fritz and Burgi Bläuel
Dear Burgi, dear Fritz, how did you like the film?

Burgi: “Loooooooved it :-). Stunning visuals of Greece, the feel-good aspect, and the ‘Asterix-like’ ending where everything culminates in a charitable resolution. Add humor and music, and I left the cinema in a great mood.”
Fritz: “It was excellent! I found the film moving in a very subtle way.”

The film is inspired by the MANI story, but still quite different. What parallels do you see between yourselves and the movie?

Fritz: “The story in the film isn’t exactly my story, of course. But there are quite a few parallels to the MANI story, especially in the fundamental connection to olive oil and Greece, both of which play crucial roles. Particularly the ‘magic’ and ‘dreamlike’ qualities of Greece.”
Burgi: “For me, it was about finding myself in Greece, the collective success, and the good we’ve achieved with the people of the Mani. And of course, the ‘Greek gold’ being shared with the world.”

And do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?

Burgi: “Thomas Stipsits is an extraordinarily warm-hearted, loving, and cheerful person. I’m so happy that he not only appreciates our story but also recommends it to others. As he jokingly said at the end of an interview: ‘Do yourself and others a favor by watching the film, recommending it, and buying and eating MANI olive oil 😉.’”
Fritz: “What’s truly special is the shared deeper motivation. Just as the film makes moviegoers leave the cinema feeling a little more uplifted, if not happier than when they arrived, our fundamental motivation at MANI is quite similar. Whether it’s the atmosphere in production, in meetings, skillfully moving a forklift through the warehouse, or writing a newsletter, the focus is on lightness.”

Here are some more impressions from the premiere celebration: