Echtzeitalter

In the organizer's words:

Till is new to secondary school, a grammar school steeped in tradition. In this elitist environment, he tries to escape the pedagogical measures of his outdated class teacher, Dolinar, who relies exclusively on Reclam exercise books and draconian punishments. Over the years, the class community develops a creative way of dealing with the dusty teacher and takes refuge in nearby pubs or the smokers' corner. Till, who has little desire to share these experiences with his single mother, also finds refuge in virtual space. His extraordinary skills in the computer strategy game "Age of Empires 2" have made him one of the ten best players in the world - a success that is not appreciated by Dolinar or his mother. Into this messed-up teenage life suddenly enter two girls who show Till that it is possible to fight back against the conservative system and that there is more to life than school and computer games.

Austrian author Tonio Schachinger's novel, for which he was awarded the German Book Prize in 2023, is a sensitive coming-of-age story and an astute social study. The harmless teenage perspective scratches the elitist façade of the educated middle classes with a great deal of humor and asks how much tradition is actually beneficial when growing up.