Having won Cannes' most prestigious prize, the Palme d'Or, along with a special mention by the Ecumenical Jury, then the FIPRESCI Grand Prix at the San Sebastian Film Festival and Film of the Year 2009 at the Sinema Greece Festival, Das Weisse Band has put Austrian film-making firmly on the map.
In recognition of this, the Austrian parliamentary president requested a one-off showing of the film in a special setting - the historic plenum of the Austrian Parliament building - to an audience of 700 VIPs.
Such an occasion demanded the best for all concerned, so the original digital cinema version was to be shown, with projectors located in sound-proof enclosures.
Maximising the audio experience, special platforms were erected to allow optimal placement of the surround sound system within the historical venue. A DiGiCo SD8 was synchronised to the digital cinema server, with six audio channels sent from the server via MADI. The console's integral matrix was utilised for aligning the system to digital cinema standards, so outboard processing could be dispensed with.
The event also included a number of speeches, which utilised two radio mics plus a spare connected to the SD8's built-in I/O, which meant that not even an external DiGiRack was needed. The console's sound quality and ease of use meant that sound designer Othmar Eichinger and the film's director Michael Haneke quickly and easily achieved the audio excellence they needed for such a high-profile screening.
"When a country's president requests a screening, you know you have to deliver the very best," says Othmar. "Das Weisse Band has been a cultural highlight for Austria and we were very happy that the SD8 could help provide the ultimate in audio quality for such a special event."
(Jim Evans)
