Lovely Rita

Feeling confined by her well-mannered suburban environment, the pubescent Rita gradually attempts to test and break the expectations made of her. As she skips class to pursue her infatuation for a local bus driver as well as her own desires, her disapproving parents and classmates begin to question the motivation behind her provocations. However, Rita’s adolescent rebellions occlude a more sinister intention.

“A deliciously observed, ironic take on middle-class Austrian life,” (Variety) Jessica Hausner’s debut feature establishes her thematic interest in societal assimilation with a singular portrait of teenage recalcitrance. Newly restored in 4k and available for the first time in North America, LOVELY RITA remains just as shocking as it was during its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.