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A HORSE ON THE BALCONY

DAS PFERD AUF DEM BALKON

By Hüseyin TABAK

FILM EUROPE (SLOVAKIA) - as DISTR Theatrical, TV, DVD-video, VOD, SLOVAKIA / FEST / BROAD

Family - Completed 2012

The discovery of a horse on the balcony of a neighbour’s apartment one winter’s night completely transforms the life of 10-year-old Mika, who embarks on a series of crazy adventures to save the horse before it’s too late.

- Year of production
- 2012
- Genres
- Family, Children's
- Countries
- AUSTRIA
- Languages
- GERMAN
- Budget
- 0 - 0.3 M$
- Duration
- 90 mn
- Director(s)
- Hüseyin TABAK
- Cast
- Andreas KINDL, Enzo GAIER, Nataša PAUNOVIĆ, Nora TSCHIRNER
- ISAN
- 0000-0003-4E63-0000-7-0000-0000-G
- EIDR
- 10.5240/69EB-5008-35F1-2B37-F170-T
- Synopsis
- 10-year-old Mika is different from other kids. He has a mild form of autism which makes it hard for him to connect with other people. He loves maths, is incapable of telling a lie or understanding a joke and has to have lunch at precisely 14:17 each day.
  Mika’s strictly controlled life is turned upside down one winter’s night when he hears a neighing sound. He can hardly believe his eyes when he spots a horse on the balcony of the apartment next door! On his mission to solve the mystery, he teams up with Dana, a spirited girl who likes pretending to be an Indian princess, although her grandmother is in fact the cleaning lady of the apartment block.
  Breaking into the flat with the balcony in question is only the first step in a series of challenging adventures for the two children. It turns out that their new neighbour Sascha, a former mathematician and hapless gambler, has won the horse in a lottery and is eager to sell it to pay off his debts.
  Mika instantly connects with the distressed animal and lends a welcome helping hand to Sascha, who is unable to cope with his four-legged prize on his own. At the racecourse they discover that the horse was once a famous racehorse called Bucephalus. Although the horse is no longer able to race, he would make a perfect companion for a boy like Mika, who is transformed by the experience of just sitting on his back. Alas, Mika and his mum cannot afford a horse and Sascha is forced to convert his only possession into cash to pay his debts. Will the slaughterhouse be the last resort?
  Mika and Dana, who become firm friends in their mission to save Bucephalus, are not easily defeated. With Dana’s street credibility and Mika’s unusual talents, including a photographic memory for car registration plates and a gift for predicting the results of a roulette game, the kids are well-equipped to tackle the seemingly hopeless situation. With courage and imagination, they leave no stone unturned to rescue Bucephalus not only from the slaughterhouse, but also from the moneylending crooks. Chasing through Vienna, hiding in the crooks’ car, even concocting a crazy plan to win a fortune at the roulette table, they go through one adventure after another.
  Shortly before Christmas, all hope seems to be lost: Bucephalus is abducted by the crooks and Hedi is hospitalized following a heart attack. For the first time ever, Mika prays to God and makes a double Christmas wish for Hedi and Bucephalus. Then, in the nick of time on Christmas Eve, the miracle happens! After a gripping show-down the children outsmart the crooks, free Bucephalus, and Hedi – who happened to hit the jackpot in the casino at the last minute – is released from hospital. Never mind that Lara burned the traditional goose dinner in all the excitement – all of them are invited for an unusual Christmas party at Dana’s home.