20 October 2024  Currently, the Vienna Tourist Board's latest campaign film, 'Vienna: The last place you want to be,' featuring a mayfly experiencing prominent cultural and culinary destinations in Vienna in its short life, is running on social media and online in countries such as the UK, Germany, Italy,... and international platforms such as Disney+ in the US and Netflix in Canada, according to a press release issued this week. Fashion.at took a closer look at what happened to the fly in Vienna. Vienna's association with morbidity is a deep-rooted cultural phenomenon, shaped by its history and traditions around death and burial. This cultural tradition is also the theme of the campaign website https://thelastplace.wien.info, where 10 facts are presented, starting with an Austrian term, followed by an art historical example, a famous musical composition, etc. The site is an introduction to the city's unique fascination with mortality, embodied in its cemeteries, customs and cultural expressions. A central theme of the website is the Zentralfriedhof. Vienna's Central Cemetery, which opened in 1874 and is today one of the largest and most famous cemeteries in Europe, burying famous people such as Beethoven, Brahms and Strauss, symbolizes the city's complex relationship with death. A few years ago, Fashion.at walked through the cemetery to take a closer look at the artistic grave designs of prominent women like Hedy Lamarr (article). The campaign film 'Vienna: the last place you want to be' was released by the Vienna Tourist Board to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery). The title of the film itself is an example of the dark Viennese humor with morbid elements. This humor of making serious subjects, including death, funny is called 'Schmäh' in Vienna. The one-day life of the mayfly begins at sunrise at Vienna's Central Cemetery, before the journey continues to Viennese landmarks such as the Spanish Riding School, Café Schwarzenberg, various museums, and ends with a view over the city on a table in a vineyard. In the final scene, Viennese might be reminded of the line from an old 'Wienerlied' (Viennese song) that was often played in Heurigen taverns: 'Es wird a Wein sein, und mir wer'n nimmer sein' (There will be wine, and we will be no more). Vienna's reputation stems from its historical traditions surrounding burial customs and memorial practices. The 'Morbid Vienna Guide,' available in the city's 'ivie' app, offers insights into the city's darker side, from macabre historical facts to cemetery tours. This fascination with death is not seen as morbid, but rather as a celebration of life, influencing art, philosophy and everyday life in Vienna. Image: The image shows a still from the campaign film 'Vienna: the last place you want to be' of the Vienna Tourist Board, created in cooperation with Jung von Matt DONAU, directed by Sam Gainsborough with the London production company Blinkink. The music is by Austrian composer and producer Walter Werzowa with a 40-piece orchestra of students from the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts. The short film can be viewed on YouTube. Photo: © Vienna Tourist Board / Blinkink. |