Ein Anfang von etwas (1995): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1995, Ein Anfang von etwas is a drama and romance film directed by Nikolaus Leytner, running about 86 minutes. “The States: They were always no tenants, no savings club, no Joe Czerny. You understand?! I always thought: Say what you want because I'm leaving anyway.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Herbert lives a rather simple life, left to his own devices. He works as a projectionist in a shabby Viennese movie theater and lives alone with his red nameless cat in the free caretaker's apartment of a somewhat run-down apartment building. Now and then he visits his mother in a nursing home, meets with an old friend of his father, or comes to meetings of a savings club. Saving money is pretty much the center of his life because he has a dream. He wants to emigrate to the U.S. to buy his own movie theater and to reunite with his long-lost father. But when Rita, a young student, moves into the apartment building things in his life are changed completely.

Who’s in it. Ein Anfang von etwas stars Christoph Waltz as Herbert Sobieski, Sandra Cervik as Rita Rosner, Georg Trenkwitz as Hans and Claudia Martini as Doris, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.7/10, Ein Anfang von etwas has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Ein Anfang von etwas page.

If you liked it. Fans of Ein Anfang von etwas tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.