THE THIRD OPTION

Synopsis

Who decides what is normal? How do you go about deciding between life and death? In his complex essay film, Thomas Fürhapter elaborates on these questions. The Third Option sheds light on the fate of individuals in the age of prenatal diagnostics and biopolitics from a radical contemporary and socio-political viewpoint. The film peels away the various thematic layers to reveal essential questions regarding birth, normalisation and life optimisation – thus transforming an issue that affects only a small number of people into one that concerns us all.

Director Biography

Thomas Fürhapter was born in Vienna in 1971 and moved to Salzburg with his family at the age of six. At the age of 15 he started cycling, won several provincial titles in Salzburg, and became Austrian Champion in the Juniors category in 1989. After his matriculation he finished his career as a cyclist and enrolled at the University of Salzburg psychology and worked as a photographer and journalist for the Salzburg news. In 1995 he went to Vienna, where he began a philosophy course. In addition to his studies, he is a member of the art and event collective hobbythek, where he is the first public appearance of maschek. And several performances of monochrome co-organized.