Zillertal Jürgen Reble, 1997

Zillertal is based on an old trailer that Reble had hung in trees in a garden for months, before treating it with chemicals. The ravages of the chemical reactions make it difficult to ascertain what connection, if any, the original has with Zillertal, the Tyrolean alpine area that borders Bavaria. It is tempting to imagine treks through traditional German folk forms as with Rumpelstilzchen, perhaps referring to the Heimat mountain film. However, there is no evidence of generic romantic idealisation, indeed it eschews conventional association and representation. The title actually refers to the way that mountainous shapes form in the chemically altered black areas of the film. The title is also ironic, as what can be seen of the original film appears to take place in a coastal setting. The weathering and chemical treatment has degraded the images to the point where figures in a bar, a woman in a bathing costume, men in military uniform, a fight breaking out