Michael is a 2011 Austrian drama film directed by Markus Schleinzer which resembles the famous Natascha Kampusch case from the offender's viewpoint. It premiered In Competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. It is Schleinzer's directorial debut.

Plot

The film's title character is an insurance broker who lives a quiet, unassuming existence and who secretly keeps a 10-year-old boy called Wolfgang in his soundproof basement. He sexually abuses the boy, but they otherwise have something of a father–son relationship. In the evenings, after Michael locks the door and closes the blinds, Wolfgang is allowed into the living room for dinner and to watch TV. When in hospital after an accident, Michael is in a hurry to be released and return to Wolfgang. When Wolfgang gets sick Michael digs a grave in the woods, in case Wolfgang dies. However, he recovers. The boy writes a letter to his parents, to be mailed by Michael, but Michael does not send it and lies to Wolfgang, saying his parents do not want him back.

Awards