German filmmaker Bastian Günther found Houston's hellacious summer weather to be useful, if extremely uncomfortable, while shooting his latest feature. The city and its oppressive heat and humidity play a significant role in Günther's
Houston, making its local premiere this weekend at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The film follows Clemens (played by Ulrich Tukur), a corporate headhunter sent from Germany to Texas to poach the CEO of an oil company. An alcoholic, he's unable to cope with the strange social and taxing physical surroundings; Clemens stumbles in the unfamiliar landscape. ""When I came up with the story, I was looking for a city that had a lot of oil companies,"' Günther tells us. "'I also needed a humid climate; it's part of the story, part of the character’s alienation. We went to Houston and I immediately loved it. It's very visual, there's no zoning, it has a lot of highways, the skyline is great and the weather is crazy in the summertime.''
Günther will introduce the 7 p.m. Friday screening. Additional screenings are scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. 1001 Bissonnet. For information, 713-639-7515 or visit mfah.org. $9.
Fri., Sept. 6, 7 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 7, 7 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 8, 5 p.m., 2013