Discoveries from Switzerland World Cinema

An orthodox heroine astride a motorbike. Young people breaking the monotony of a country life through stunt riding. A meeting against a Western backdrop between two universes that are at odds with each other except for their very reason for being: passion.

Falsely accused of colluding with the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte in 19th century France, newlywed seaman Edmond Dantès suddenly finds himself thrown into a Mediterranean island prison without a trial. Money in hand, Dantès transforms himself into the powerful and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo and embarks upon a quest to avenge those who stole the heart of his beloved bride, Mercedes, and conspired to destroy him.

Filmed when Beavers was 18–19, this self-portrait depicts him and Gregory J. Markopoulos in their Swiss apartment. A diary of domestic life, it transforms everyday objects and intimate details into a charged meditation on love, memory, and desire.

In May of 1982 Julio Cortázar, the Argentinean writer and his companion in life, Carol Dunlop set out in their VW bus on a journey along the highway from Paris to Marseille that, for each of them, was to be their final one. Twenty-five years later, Océane Madelaine and Jocelyn Bonnerave set out to undertake the journey again.

A rare form of coincidence. Three burglars have chosen the same house as their target. After they meet, stealing the promising treasure proves to be quite difficult.

Fredi M. Murer wrote and directed this Swiss drama about a family with a missing child. The only explanation seems to be kidnapping, but no ransom note arrives. Police inspector Anatol Wasser (Hanspeter Muller) soon faces an elaborate mystery: a dozen Swiss children vanish with no indication of any pattern -- other than the fact that they all lived near lakes. Is organized crime responsible, or does the answer lie in mystical realms? Shown at the 1998 Montreal Film Festival.

Filmed in Rome in the 1980s, the work draws on Borromini’s Baroque architecture and Il Sassetta’s St. Martin and the Beggar. Beavers contrasts winter’s subdued light with the verdant growth of spring, constructing a precise montage in which image and sound form a poetic dialogue.

At the peak of his mid-life crisis, Swiss filmmaker Stefan Keller is forced to take on a side job out of financial necessity. Consequently, he finds himself travelling throughout Switzerland as an anonymous youth hostel tester just before Christmas. Thus begins his odyssey: Stefan is in desperate need of a story; he struggles with his failed relationship; and chance acquaintances force him to face the meaning of his existence.

Elmar works as a local editor at the "Stadt-Anzeiger." What nobody knows is that his best reports come from Alfie.

Matteo, a boy from the city, goes to visit his grandfather in a secluded mountain village, where preparations for a local ancient festival are under way. Matteo spends the eve of the festival with Lidia and three other boys from the village. The group of kids begins a dangerous game, bringing up obscure mysteries that are rooted in the past of that mountain valley. Matteo thus goes through a sort of initiation, at the end of which he is able to exorcise his fears, but only after becoming uncomfortably conscious of the existence of evil.

Martin Hugentobler is "full of oil" when he gets home. You could also say he is "full to bursting". But this time, for once, there's a good reason: he and his three fellow Jass players have been playing the lottery for years, always with the same numbers. Finally, their perseverance is rewarded: five correct numbers mean a thousand francs each. However, this time Martin's wife Leni has filled in the slip instead of him - and made a mistake. A stroke of luck, because the "wrong" number helps the Hugentobler family win the main prize - one and a half million.

A young man happens upon a strange, isolated village which is oppressively ruled by foreign soldiers. When he tries to inquire into what is going on, he is forced to flee to an island where a renegade medical doctor tries to force him into submission.

Landlady Fränzi is renting her secluded alpine hut for the first time and prepares everything in minute detail. However, due to an overbooking four guests arrive instead of two: local politician Erich with his marketing expert Urs and young influencer Jennifer with her boyfriend Nirosh. They all need to weather out a snow storm raging outside the hut and soon find themselves confronted by violence with no way out.

Jackie Brutsche tries to unravel the dark secrets of her family and answer unanswered questions about her mother.

The trials of the wealthy Emmentaler farming family Jowäger, adapted from the 19th century novel of the same name by Jeremias Gotthelf (pen-name of Albert Bitzius), which was also published in two parts.

75-year-old Giuseppe De Metrio has spent 30 years in Geneva, as foreign worker for the Broyer company. Upon retirement, he returned to Puglia, Italy, where his family had continued to live. His only grandchild, 7-year-old Carla, is blind. The whole family looks forward hopefully to the day when Carla's sight can be restored by means of a cornea transplantation. After a heart attack, Giuseppe decides to wait no longer and returns to Switzerland to ask his former boss Mr. Broyer for the money necessary for the operation, as an old promise binds the two men. Intended as a 48-hour trip, Giuseppe and Carla's visit in Switzerland becomes a journey that both grandfather and granddaughter never dreamt of...

In this docudrama, the real star is a railroad tunnel. First built, at the instigation of a banker and an engineer, in 1872 under appalling conditions, it was widened to accommodate automobiles in 1972. The tunnel links the Rhineland in Germany with Italy and goes through the Swiss mountains. The many lives lost in the building of the first tunnel were considered to be one of the costs for economic progress. In one re-enactment, a strike for better conditions is severely dealt with by the military. Even in 1972, though working conditions were better, most of the men working on the tunnel were poor immigrant workers, with almost no power to negotiate better treatment.

Everything goes awry between Suzy and Henri who run a hairdressing salon together. Fed up with a routine that has been lasting for ages, Suzy wants a drastic change, which is not to her husband's liking, all the more as she tells him she intends to divorce. Under these circumstances, they decide to separate both the salon and their apartment into two parts. It does not take long before all the villagers take sides, either with Suzy or with Henri.

Adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's "The Skin of Sorrow" or "The Wild Ass's Skin" (1831), said to be the last novel read by Sigmund Freud before his death. While reading it, he would have said: "This is the only book I needed".

Adopted by a well-off Swiss couple with slightly older son and daughter, Vinh never cut off links with his country of origin. Postcards from the adoptive family regularly conveyed to Vinh's mother in Vietnam reassurance about the warmth and nurturing environment that she always wished for her boy. Now grown up, Vinh is getting married; after so many years, the wedding is the ideal opportunity for his mother, accompanied by uncle Dac, to visit the adoptive family. Nothing would cause a greater consternation among its members. The parents underwent a less than amicable divorce, the father is bankrupt, the sister estranged, the elder brother brooding, the model family broken up. What can be done to prevent the unavoidable and profound disappointment of Vinh's mother and uncle Dac when they discover the fiasco?

Talou, prince of an imaginary African kingdom, is sent to Switzerland to be protected from his father's enemies. But that won't be enough.

Long-time friends Vanja, Alex, Liz and Evie go on a camping trip together. Something is in the air between the four women. It soon becomes clear: it is the abortion that Vanja has just had. This experience puts their friendship to the test. Alex in particular has great difficulty dealing with it and standing by her best friend. However, her inadequacy is based on completely different feelings.

‎Produced over two years by two young students from Switzerland and Germany in collaboration with the General House of the FSSPX, this production of more than four hours is one of the most ambitious cinematic projects ever undertaken by the Fraternity. The first film focuses on the Catholic priesthood, the history of the SSPX, and priestly formation in its international seminaries.

The film retraces Jean-Luc Godard's notorious exhibition at the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou in Paris between 11 May – 14 August 2006.

The horn sledges were used throughout the Alps in forestry and agriculture for material transports on steep terrain. In the Muota valley, in the heart of Switzerland, a group of idealists is continuing to preserve the old tradition of «Mänere».

When a convicted felon fails to return from his prison leave and a young woman is found murdered, forensic psychiatrist Roman Mettler finds himself fighting for his existence. It was him who had composed the report permitting the leave.

Korn came out of California in the early nineties and went on to become one of the most globally successful metal acts of their generation. They continue to play live to vast crowds and have record sales in the millions. This concert from Montreux in 2004 is their only performance at the festival to date.

A documentary thriller recording a deadly dangerous investigation by international reporters to expose the impunity of drug lords and the complicity of political leaders in their crimes.

Valentin is pretty p* off. After being confined to a wheelchair because of a snowboard accident, his mother forces him to participate in a theater project for people with disabilities - the diapers in his room and the initially arrogant roommate add insult to injury. The one and only redeeming feature of life at the facility for the handicapped is the lovely caretaker, Mira. Unfortunately Mira is going steady with a local slime-ball, Marc. Valentin decides to enter the fray against his sturdy and prosperous rival, and even carries it a step further: he decides to rob the gas station at which Marc works. With fervent enthusiasm, his house mates Lukas and Titus offer themselves as accomplices. With this the freshly hatched trio, heads off to procure a gun. Valentin discovers that although handicapped, his mates are hardly inept; they not only manage to pull off their heist, they become friends in the process. As we come to a showdown between the gas...

For the documentary series Les Ascensions Célèbres, Denis Ducroz has created this historical reconstruction of the first ascent of the Meije, exploring etymology, physical geography, and the history of the emergence of mountaineering in the Oisans massif. The first ascent of the Grand Pic was made on August 16, 1877, by Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau with Pierre Gaspard and son; the rope party moved along the Promontoire ridge on the south face to the Glacier Carré, where Jean-Baptiste Rodier, the second porter, separated from the three climbers who managed to overcome ice and granite to open the famous "normal route" to the summit.

Meriç's father is abducted by the secret police. Traumatised by this event, Meriç searches for possible explanations and comes to believe that his father has been stolen by thieves. In his imagination, he brings his father back and hides him in the cellar.

Since 2013, the Central African Republic has been embroiled in a conflict between Christian and Muslim armed groups. While diamonds and gold are traded in global indifference, a cardinal and an imam fight together for interreligious coexistence.

In a loveless relationship, Zoé ditches her faceless boyfriend in a cheap motel room and sets off north without a penny to her name. She hitch-hikes, pilfers a meal from a gas station, encounters strangers who could be her next ride or a passing glimpse, ambling toward some unknown destination. At the end of her pilgrimage, Zoé reaches the English Channel; on the ferry a woman mysteriously disappears. A new coat gives Zoé a new identity, but even in a new country she's not quite sure she's escaped herself.

After her father's death, Lilo wanders through Zurich's Allmend, a common public space on the edge of the city. It is there that her father spent most of his time during the last years of his life. In her search for his traces, she listens to the landscape, sketches nature and meets the regular walkers.

Marianne, the charming daughter of the "magic king," is engaged to master butcher Oskar. She meets bon vivant Alfred, who is supported by Valerie and makes a living from betting on horse races and other dubious business deals. During a picnic in the Vienna Woods, Marianne falls in love with Alfred and wants to break off her engagement to Oskar. Her father disowns her, Marianne moves in with Alfred and soon has a child by him. Alfred soon tires of Marianne's clinginess and takes the child to his mother in the Wachau region, while Marianne works as a dancer in a variety show. At the lowest point of her humiliation, Marianne returns to her parents' house. Her father forgives her, and Oskar asks for her hand in marriage, despite her having a child with Alfred. A happy ending seems imminent until Marianne learns what has happened in the Wachau region.

Plagued by a condition that makes his skeleton literally jump out of his skin, a museum worker struggles to keep his body in one piece.

The story revolves around a vengeful God who punishes unbelieving humanity with a deadly plague. During the apocalypse, a ritual summons four sadistic serial killers, (The Damned Angels) from the past. These beings, who once served God and dispensed justice, are now meant to stand alongside humanity in the fight against the undead.

Alicia Keys performs at the Baloise Session festival in Basel, Switzerland on 2 November 2017.

In this blackly comic and brilliantly concise short, a man wanders at the foot of the Swiss Alps—until, like Alice, his attention is attracted by a white rabbit.

Football Inside dives deep into football culture – and makes the locker room its stage. As soon as they put on their jerseys, pros, women, and juniors all take on different roles, with one thing in common: Their love for the game.

David and Michelle run a communications firm together and are preparing to become parents. But the young man learns that his father, with whom he had broken ties at age 15, is dying. He decides to go to Switzerland to be with the man who ruined his childhood.

An amateur filmmaker meets the film student who is supposed to edit his material, the focus of which is allegedly bears. A debate arises about the power of the voyeuristic gaze.

A quintet is an omnibus feature told from the perspective of five international up and coming filmmakers who are searching to find identity in the modern world. The five segments are : "Polaroid" by Roberto Cuzzillo; "Friend Request" by Elie Lamah; "The Cuddle Workshop" by Mauro Mueller; "The House in the Envelope" by Sanela Salketic; and "The Tourist" by Ariel Shaban.

Fortune and Kevine, two inseparable friends, play on the same first-division football team in Yaoundé, Cameroon. To achieve their dream of playing for a foreign club, they must fight to gain recognition as female footballers. Kevine signs with the renowned FC Nantes and leaves her country, while Fortune hopes to join her one day.

A road documentary which is made up of filming in Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Croatia. Both the originator and producer of the documentary, Ivana Kvesic has got in touch with the four directors from the countries, to follow one of the directors and their environment, by seeing the reflections of the city and its aura especially throughout the creative process. During this journey, through traces of the transformation experienced by those countries which previously used to make up a whole, we aim to underline the inter cultural similarities and problems with which younger generations in these regions experience.

Love and friendship, lies and betrayal - comedies often deal with existential themes. But not always. Sometimes everyday life is enough to pick up an audience and entertain them. The audience suddenly sees themselves as experts who can give an informed opinion on what is happening on stage: In the case of "Pantoffelheld" from 1983, it was probably primarily housewives, ironing men were rather the exception back then. Among them was the newly minted househusband Daniel, who struggles with an ironing board and creased jeans. Paul Bühlmann as his buddy Georges does a much more confident job.

Joan, a 22-year-old baker engaged to María, rents a room in an apartment owned by a 68-year-old woman, La Tieta, and her eccentric nephew Oriol. La Tieta introduces Joan to a new, sensual, and mysterious world with a unique aesthetic. Oriol, who adores his aunt, helps open Joan's eyes. From that moment on, everything is turned upside down, his relationship with María breaks down, and little by little, he falls in love with La Tieta, and she with him. A love story begins to blossom.

In a world controlled by a shadow organization, how far must you tap into your own darkness to balance the scales?

Pepe Mujica, now a member of the Uruguayan parliament, and others of the Tupamaros recount the history of this urban guerrilla group: their use of armed intervention and illegal acts--even kidnapping and murder, their imprisonment and escapes, and their transition to a legal political party.

The First Nations girl Shana is a very gifted musician. But to bring her violin to sing, she must follow the wolf. Nino Jacusso has filmed this captivating coming-of-age drama with sensational beauty and spiritual tenderness.

The virtually unknown culture of Oriental Jews, Arabs or Palestinians who are attached to land they have lived on in Israel and to their Hebraic faith, but who have difficulty integrating into the ideology and politics of Zionism.

Strange events disturb the daily life of a small Spanish village. A fake documentary blending absurdity and mysticism.

Feminist drama about Sue, an attractive student proud of her sexuality who knows how to play by her own rules and make it in life, and her supportive repressed best friend Ruth, who doesn't know men as well as Sue, which leads to tragedy.

Where are you, João Gilberto? sets out in the footsteps of German writer Marc Fischer who obsessively searched for the legendary founding father of Bossa Nova and last great musical legend of our time, Brazilian musician João Gilberto, who has not been seen in public for decades. Fischer described his journey in a book, Hobalala, but committed suicide one week before it was published. By taking up Marc Fischer's quest, following his steps one by one, thanks to all the clues he left us, we pursue João Gilberto to understand the history, the very soul and essence of Bossa Nova. But who can tell whether we will meet him or not?

Don't look down Loch Änzi or you might turn into a ghost.