THE NEW DOCUMENTARY BY AUSTRIAN DIRECTOR HERMANN WEISKOPF, FILMED IN INNSBRUCK AND ROME, IN THE SADDLE OF HIS VESPA
July 2025 (G.T) - Shooting has finished on the new docu-film ‘Ride back to Faith’ by Austrian director Hermann Weiskopf. The journey narrated in the film led the team from Innsbruck to Rome - on pilgrimage of faith in the Holy Year 2025 - before returning to the starting point, in a surprising and very personal finale.
The plot: a personal pilgrimage on a Vespa. In the Holy Year 2025 (Catholic Church Jubilee), Hermann Weiskopf sets off on a pilgrimage, on the road with his Vespa to rediscover his faith. He reflects on missed opportunities and on his past, talks to the other pilgrims he meets and to a wide variety of other people, talking to them about their views on faith, today and over time.
Innsbruck, the director Hermann Weiskopf with the ‘Innsbrucker Alpentuifl Little Devils’. Photo courtesy. Rooted in pagan rituals in the Alps, from Tyrol to South Tyrol, the devils were winter spirits that drove away evil; when Christianity arrived, they became associated with Saint Nicholas, who rewarded the good, while the little devils punished the wicked, representing the eternal struggle between light and darkness, and between good and evil.
The film (and the journey) begins with highly disturbing scenes in St. James' Cathedral in Innsbruck, with the “Tyrolean devils” playing a central role. And this is also the place where the film ends, with a very special moment: after 32 years of civil marriage, Weiskopf weds his wife Paola in church – without any “staging” or rehearsals. “A happy ending, just like in Hollywood, but in this instance it’s real”, says the director.
A scene from the film: the wedding (real, not just for the camera) of Paola and Hermann Weiskopf in St. Jakob's Cathedral in Innsbruck. Photo courtesy.
A film about faith, and life. The focus is not simply on Hermann's personal journey, but also on the numerous touching encounters he has along the way. “Faith is something that affects us all, regardless of what we feel about it”, says Weiskopf. “This diversity and variety make ‘Ride back to Faith’ a truly special film, with something for everyone”.
Hermann Weiskopf meets Ana, a homeless woman in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Photo courtesy. Photo courtesy.
The third chapter of the “Ride back to...” series. Following the success of his previous films, “Ride Back to Freedom” (about the Covid pandemic) and “Ride Back to Best Age” (on ageing), this is the third instalment in the series. Both previous films have received numerous international awards.
Hermann Weiskopf in front of a Tintoretto painting in Venice. Photo courtesy.
On TV, at festivals, in cinemas and… “Ride back to Faith” will be shown on television in 2026, with screenings before this at various international film festivals and in cinemas. A preview in the Vatican – as was the case for Weiskopf's film “Otto Neururer – A Light in the Darkness” – would be a truly special moment for the director. Weiskopf is always on a quest for authenticity, creating films that move the viewer and encourage reflection on life’s greatest themes, with his personal, original style which is never without a touch of humour, as is clear from the three docu-films in the “Ride Back to...” series. All three filmed with the director on his Vespa.
Director and Vespa enthusiast Hermann Weiskopf on the saddle of his GTV in Riccione. Photo courtesy. Photo courtesy.
https://www.facebook.com/hermann.weiskopf/?locale=it_IT
Information on the film. Genre: Documentary (docufilm). Length: around 90 minutes.
Websites: www.ridebackto.com
www.avgfilmproduktion.com
In St. Peter's Square, Rome, during a general audience with the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. Photo courtesy.
Shooting the film…on the road. The director and his Vespa. Photo courtesy.
(Source: AVG Filproduktion press release)
(Photo courtesy for editorial use: AVG Filmproduktion).
READ ALSO THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE:
https://wide.piaggiogroup.com/en/articles/people/the-austrian-director-hermann-weiskopf-prepares-to-make-a-new-docufilm-ride-back-to-faith/index.html
Wide Magazine rewind: all articles dedicated to director Hermann Weiskopf are available in the magazine's online archive (see the subheading in home page – and, to perform a quick search, just click on SEARCH and enter the director's name).
