05/10/2023 - Marking her feature film debut, Eileen Byrne is adapting Jasmin Schreiber’s novel of the same name with German-speaking talent

left to right: actor Edgar Selge, director Eileen Byrne, actress Luna Wedler, director of photography Petra Korner, Samsa Film producer Bernard Michaux, Albolina co-producer Roberto Cavallini (© Samsa Film/Oliver Oppitz)

Her short film Touch Me (Was bleibt) (read our interview with her about it), about a woman who faces the challenges and sacrifices of having breast cancer, not only served as a graduation project at the University of Television and Film Munich. It has also put Luxembourg-born director Eileen Byrne on the cinematic map. Now, Byrne is filming her first feature film, titled Marianengraben and based on the novel of the same name by author Jasmin Schreiber.

It tells the story of Paula, whose will to live is extinguished after her little brother Tim drowns in the sea in Trieste. But when she meets old Helmut, who wants to take his ex-wife's urn to Italy, she finally sees a glimmer of hope. She decides to travel to the beach in Trieste, where her brother died, to find closure. During the journey, she not only picks up a new zest for life but also develops an unexpected friendship with Helmut.

Starring in the lead roles are Swiss actress Luna Wedler, known for Je suis Karl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Christian Schwochow
film profile], The Story of My Wife [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ildikó Enyedi
film profile], and Ingeborg Bachmann – Journey into the Desert [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Margarethe von Trotta
film profile], and Edgar Selge, whose credits include Skin Deep [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alex Schaad
film profile], Miss Sixty [+see also:
trailer
film profile], and Wetlands [+see also:
trailer
interview: David Wnendt
film profile].

The international co-production involves partners from Luxembourg (Samsa Film), Austria (Film AG Produktions GmbH) and Italy (Albolina Film), with funding coming from Film Fund Luxembourg, IDM Südtirol, ÖFI+ and MiC. Alamode Film will release the film in German and Austrian cinemas throughout 2024.