Feeling confined by her well-mannered suburban environment, the pubescent Rita (Barbara Osika) gradually attempts to test and break the expectations made of her. As she skips class to pursue her infatuation for a local bus driver as well as her own desires, her disapproving parents and classmates begin to question the motivation behind her provocations. However, Rita’s adolescent rebellions hide a more sinister intention.

Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, Jessica Hausner’s debut feature LOVELY RITA is a “deliciously observed, ironic take on middle-class Austrian life” (Variety) that establishes her thematic interest in societal assimilation with a singular portrait of teenage recalcitrance.

“Captures beautifully the awkward ugliness of adolescence.” –The Independent

DIRECTED BY JESSICA HAUSNER
AUSTRIA, GERMANY | 2001 | GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES