WatchAUT 2025

When you hear "Piggy Bank”, you probably picture a cute little pig with a slot for coin — until it's time to smash it. Director Christoph Schwarz, however, takes this metaphor and runs wild. He transforms himself into a moral piggy bank, and not just because he admits to raiding his daughter’s savings for his 40th birthday bash. Oh no, he goes full hog — right into embezzlement territory.

After receiving €90,000 from Austrian broadcaster ORF to make a documentary, Schwarz decides to invest it... in a house his wife Michaela really wants. Conveniently, it costs exactly €90,000. Problem solved? Not quite. He still owes ORF a film. Solution? Make a no-budget doc about going on a money strike for a year. No spending, no transactions. Need to join the family holiday? No problem — he walks there.

From the start, Piggy Bank plays with the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, poking fun at itself and the system that funded it. Schwarz doesn’t just lampoon ORF’s selection process; he’s the first to make himself the butt of the joke. But what starts as a cheeky stunt — middle-aged dad on a budget rebellion — takes a surprising turn. As his pranks drift into climate activism, the humuor stays sharp, but the stakes get real. Yet, instead of slipping into gloom and doom, Schwarz leans into laughter as his weapon of choice. The result? A clever, multi-layered satire that tackles existential dread with a wink and a grin.

The watchAUT screening is the London Premiere.