Teresa Distelberger

The film observes the implementation of an idea by a special company, the Waldviertler shoe factory, in one of Austria's most precarious regions, the northern Waldviertel. How can the visions of a just world that drive company owner Heinrich Staudinger be realized in the economic developments of the present?

The village is happiness. That’s what the images we have of it in our minds tell us—a main square as a lively hub, a corner store, a tavern, and on the outskirts, a view of meadows and farms. But rural exodus is putting the village to the test: young people are moving away, farms are closing, and shops stand empty. But how can the very essence of a village remain alive?

A film about people who make a difference. They are committed to a lively political culture, to sustainable solutions in food and construction, to clarity in thinking about the economy, and to social justice.