The Austrian film and TV industry has moved quickly to distance itself from Austrian actor Florian Teichtmeister, who was charged Friday with possession of child pornography. Teichtmeister is the male lead in Austria’s official Oscar submission, “Corsage.” Meanwhile, the film’s producers and its director-writer have released a statement on what they knew and when.
Austria’s state broadcaster ORF, which co-financed “Corsage,” has announced it will withdraw all shows in which Teichtmeister appears, and the Cineplexx movie theater chain said “Corsage” will be pulled from its schedules. Vienna’s Burgtheater, Austria’s national theater, has terminated the actor’s contract with immediate effect.
Teichtmeister’s lawyer Michael Rami said the actor intended to plead guilty to the charges, which relate to the possession of 58,000 pornographic images of children. Teichtmeister is due to appear in court on Feb. 8. He faces up to two years in prison.
Film AG, the Vienna-based film production company behind “Corsage,” has released a statement from the film’s producers, Alexander Glehr and Johanna Scherz, and its director-writer, Marie Kreutzer.
It states: “Since shooting ended in July 2021, Florian Teichtmeister has had no employment relationship with us. Nevertheless, we would have expected him to have informed us the moment police investigation into the allegations commenced. The opposite was the case: after rumors surfaced following the wrap on filming in autumn 2021, Florian Teichtmeister, in response to explicit enquiry about these rumors, convincingly assured us (and others) of their falsity.”
The statement says they learned of the charges via media reports on Friday.
It adds: “We have, in the meanwhile, informed our co-producers, national and international distribution partners, financiers and sponsors, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in as much detail about the publicly available facts on Florian Teichtmeister and will continue to do so.
“We do not wish that the serious misconduct of one actor destroys the incredible performance of the entire cast and crew of the film. But no matter what happens now with the film: the love and recognition ‘Corsage’ has received cannot be taken away.”
In the statement, Kreutzer says: “I am sad and angry that a feminist film that more than 300 people from all over Europe worked on for years may be tarnished and damaged by the horrific actions of one person. But I am even sadder and angrier at the extent to which videos and photos of sexual violence against children are produced, distributed and consumed. We cannot see into the depths of our fellow humans. This case brutally brings to light how powerless we are in face of such a horrific topic and how urgently stronger political, law enforcement, but also psychotherapeutic measures are required.”