Der Traum der bleibt

In the north-suburbs of Vienna, 8,000 people live in Trabrenngründe a large complex of 2,400 flats. Built with a certain enthusiasm in the 1970s by architects who were conscious of their political an aesthetic responsibility, this complex has become a shining example of the failure of council-housing projects : dubious criteria for allocating flats, poor technical designs and flats aging badly despite rehabilitation work. More importantly, the complex suffers from a disastrous reputation of violence and vandalism, conferred on it once and for all by the media. The film looks closely at the façades, the long corridors and the windy courtyards of this town-like community, which has such poor communications with Vienna. Drawing warm, individual portraits of some twenty residents, it observes their way on life, listens to them talk not only about their material problems, but also their expections and dreams.