Beijing: film director Peter Liechti in the spotlight

22.09.2008

Swiss film director Peter Liechti will be featured together with his Dutch colleague Frank Scheffer in Beijing at the Crossing Festival, which is devoted to the performing arts and documentary film and runs from September 24 to October 12, 2008. Liechti will present the following five documentary films: “Namibia Crossings” (2004); “Hans im Glück – Drei Versuche, das Rauchen loszuwerden” (2003); “Signers Koffer” (1995); “Grimsel” (1990); and “Kick That Habit” (1989). He will also lead a one-week workshop with ten Chinese documentary filmmakers specially selected for the project (September 23-29).
The project was initiated by SWISS FILMS and is part of the cultural programme “China 2008–2010”, comprised of projects selected by SWISS FILMS and Pro Helvetia with the aim of strengthening cultural collaboration and exchange.


This year marks the fourth edition of the festival, which was founded by Wu Wenguang and Ann Hui. It has already established itself as a major independent platform for documentary film, experimental video works, contemporary dance and theatre, with two main focal points: “Performance Space” and “Film Forum”. Works by independent Chinese filmmakers and by directors who have been invited from abroad are screened in the “Film Forum”. The European artists participating in the workshop come from Germany, Italy, Holland, Spain and Switzerland.


In addition, the Swiss dance film “Reines d’un jour” by Pascal Magnin will be presented in conjunction with the festival. It is one of the 17 short films presented in the “Cinedans Shorts”, a section of the dance film festival “Cinedans” in Amsterdam, which will tour in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Cape Town, Bilbao and Sydney.


Pro Helvetia



Zurich, September 22, 2008
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