Bye Bye Bowser (2023) Jasmin Baumgartner’s charming romance/comedy short film. Discover love & laughter in this must-watch indie gem.
🎸 Bye Bye Bowser (2023) — Romance/Comedy Short Film by Jasmin Baumgartner
A punk‑tinged love story about class, connection, and the awkward poetry of mismatched worlds, Bye Bye Bowser is a 20‑minute Austrian short that plays like a song you didn’t know you needed — raw, catchy, and a little bit reckless. Directed by Jasmin Baumgartner and written by Lorenz Uhl, it’s a romance that asks: What happens when you fall for someone who lives on the other side of your social universe?
🧭 Overview
- Genre: Romance / Comedy / Short 🎭💘
- Director: Jasmin Baumgartner 🎬
- Writer: Lorenz Uhl ✍️
- Producers: Dominic Spitaler · Ostblok
- Cast:
- Luna Jordan as Luna 🎤
- Laurence Hadschieff as Laugo 🛠️
- Tilman Tuppy, Judith Altenberger, Gerald Votava (supporting)
- Music: Enzo Gaier · Matthias Oldofredi 🎼
- Cinematography: Johannes Höß · Adrian Bidron · Anna Hawliczek · Ioan Gavriel 🎥
- Runtime: 20 minutes
- Country: Austria 🇦🇹
- Language: German (with English subtitles)
- Premiere: Diagonale – Festival des österreichischen Films, March 2023
- Festival Highlights: Vienna Shorts (Best Newcomer), Sundance 2024, Guanajuato IFF (Best Short Film by a Female Director), Edinburgh Short Film Festival (Best Film Prize), over 40 international selections
Watch full short:
- Director: Jasmin Baumgartner
- Screenplay: Lorenz Uhl
- Cast: Luna Jordan, Laurence Hadschieff
- Producer: Dominic Spitaler
- Festivals: Lemonade Films
- Sales: Ouat Media
- Cinematography: Anna Hawliczek, Johannes Hoss, Adrian Bidron, Ioan Gavriel
- Editor: Matthias Writze
- Art Direction: Marlene Oberneder
- Sound Design: Jón H. Geirfinnsson
- Music: Enzo Gaier, Matthias Oldofredi
📖 Story in Brief
Luna is part of a tight‑knit, artsy friend group — the kind that spends nights in dim bars talking about “projects” and “concepts” while sipping craft beer. Across the street from her apartment, Laugo, a construction worker, spends his days in hard hats and high‑vis vests, building something tangible.
One day, Luna decides to rebel against the ironic detachment of her circle by writing a punk song about Laugo 🎸. It’s raw, loud, and — to her surprise — heartfelt.
- The Spark: Laugo hears about the song and is intrigued.
- The Clash: Their worlds couldn’t be more different — hers is full of abstract ideals, his is grounded in physical labor.
- The Romance: They connect anyway, finding humor and attraction in the gap between them.
- The Question: Can love survive when the novelty wears off and the realities of class, lifestyle, and expectation set in?
🎨 Creative DNA & Style
- Punk energy: The film’s rhythm mirrors the raw, unpolished vibe of Luna’s song — quick cuts, handheld shots, bursts of color.
- Urban realism: Vienna’s streets are captured without gloss, alive with scaffolding, graffiti, and the hum of everyday work.
- Character‑driven humor: The comedy comes from small moments — awkward silences, mismatched cultural references, and the way Luna’s friends react to her “Bowser” romance.
- Music as narrative: The song isn’t just a plot device — it’s the heartbeat of the film, a bridge between two worlds.
🌟 Themes & Resonance
- Class & connection: How attraction can cross — and be tested by — social divides.
- Rebellion through intimacy: Choosing love as a way to push back against cynicism.
- Art vs. labor: The tension between making things for meaning and making things for survival.
- Self‑awareness: How relationships can force us to confront our own pretensions.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros
- 🎯 Fresh premise: Romance framed through a class‑clash lens.
- 🎭 Strong performances: Luna Jordan and Laurence Hadschieff bring warmth and authenticity.
- 🎨 Distinct visual style: Balances grit with playful energy.
- 🏆 Festival acclaim: Proven crowd‑pleaser on the international circuit.
Cons
- ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you curious about what happens after the credits.
- 🌀 Ambiguity: Doesn’t tie up every emotional thread — which some will love, others not.
💡 Humanized Takeaway
Bye Bye Bowser 2023 short film is a love song in film form — messy, catchy, and full of feeling. Jasmin Baumgartner doesn’t romanticize away the differences between Luna and Laugo; instead, she leans into them, showing how attraction can be both a bridge and a fault line. It’s a reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is step outside your comfort zone and see who’s waiting on the other side of the street.
🔍 Find More & Watch
- IMDb page for Bye Bye Bowser — cast, crew, and production details
- Lemonade Films profile — festival history and press kit
- FilmAffinity entry — synopsis, credits, and awards