The Loneliest Man in Town

One of the big crowdpleasers at the Berlinale was this love letter to a long-gone analogue era that still exists in odd and fascinating little places. One such outpost is the memory and memorabilia-filled apartment of 80-year-old Alois Koch (stage name Al Cook), who has lived, loved and played the blues for 60 years. With his home about to be demolished by unscrupulous developers, Alois decides to make a long-held dream come true. The line between documentary and fiction blurs as Alois navigates upheaval in a laid-back groove that’s all his own. The minimalist approach of Austrian filmmaking duo Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel (Mister Universo, SFF 2017) delivers maximum musical and emotional reward.