This short is about Horn, a small town in lower austria, where Ulrich Seidl grew up. For years there is the tradition that the high school students organize the graduation ball. It is not only one of the most important social events of the town, but also the high point of the carnival. "Der Ball" was the reason, why Seidl got expelled from the film academy. The teachers liked neither structure nor cut of the film and thought, the film would harm the academy. In other words, it's awesome! Unfortunately i don't have english subtitles, but "Der Ball" is very revealing and i don't really see why Seidl in later movies needs soo much time to make his point.