Berlinale 2004: Swiss Participation from the Established to the New
27.01.2004
At this year’s Berlinale, Switzerland will be represented with three productions in the official program: “Memoria del saqueo“ by Fernando Solanas, a new film primarily produced with Swiss financing, will be shown as a Berlinale Special as well as the recently restored and former Berlinale winner “Das Boot ist voll” (“The Boat is Full”) by Markus Imhoof. At the Children’s Film Fest competition, the animated film “Circuit marine” by Isabelle Favez will be screened. The feature film “Mein Name ist Bach” by Dominique Rivaz, which won the 2004 Swiss Film Prize, will be featured in the German Cinema series. At the center of this year’s event will be the Swiss participation of Shooting Star Michael Koch (“Ready, Steady, Charlie!”, see press release from Jan 7, 2004), who will have a public appearance together with twenty European “New Acting Talents” at the Potsdam Square on February 8.
In addition, twelve young filmmakers representing directors, script writers, cinematographers, producers, and editors - Tobias Nölle, Lorenz Merz, Eileen Hofer, Matthias Stickel, Felix Werner, Kathrin Werner, Karin Heberlein, Risa Madoerin, Marie-Catherine Theiler, Laurent Notaro, Anthony Vouardoux, Ruth Spichtig – have been invited by Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick for this year’s “Talent Campus”.
Several smaller co-productions and co-financed projects with Swiss participation will be shown in Berlin, among them “The Stratosphere Girl“ by Matthias X. Oberg (co-produced by Dschoint Ventschr, Zurich) at the Panorama event, “Agadez Nomade FM“ by Christian Lelong and Pierre Mortimore (Co-producer: Roland Pellarin, Stratis, Lausanne) at the Forum event, and “Status Yo!“ by Till Hastreiter (Co-producer: Robert Ralston, Gute Filme, Chur).
The documentary film “Memoria del saqueo” by Fernando Solanas, a co-production led by the Swiss production company Thelma Film”(Pierre-Alain Meier) together with Argentina and France, describes twenty years of state-organized looting resulting in Argentina’s financial ruin in 2002. At the occasion of the film’s world premiere, its Argentinian director will be receiving a Golden Bear.
The Berlinale Special “Das Boot ist voll” by Markus Imhoof, which received a Silver Bear in Berlin in 1981 and was nominated for an Academy Award, is the reprise of the film which will begin playing Swiss movie theatres again this spring.
At the European Film Market, the following Swiss productionswill be showcased: “When the Right One Comes Along” by Oliver Paulus and Stefan Hillebrand, “Ready, Steady, Charlie!”, “Schenglet” by Laurent Nègre and “Asshak – Tales from the Sahara” by Ulrike Koch.
Zurich, January 27, 2004
Several smaller co-productions and co-financed projects with Swiss participation will be shown in Berlin, among them “The Stratosphere Girl“ by Matthias X. Oberg (co-produced by Dschoint Ventschr, Zurich) at the Panorama event, “Agadez Nomade FM“ by Christian Lelong and Pierre Mortimore (Co-producer: Roland Pellarin, Stratis, Lausanne) at the Forum event, and “Status Yo!“ by Till Hastreiter (Co-producer: Robert Ralston, Gute Filme, Chur).
The documentary film “Memoria del saqueo” by Fernando Solanas, a co-production led by the Swiss production company Thelma Film”(Pierre-Alain Meier) together with Argentina and France, describes twenty years of state-organized looting resulting in Argentina’s financial ruin in 2002. At the occasion of the film’s world premiere, its Argentinian director will be receiving a Golden Bear.
The Berlinale Special “Das Boot ist voll” by Markus Imhoof, which received a Silver Bear in Berlin in 1981 and was nominated for an Academy Award, is the reprise of the film which will begin playing Swiss movie theatres again this spring.
At the European Film Market, the following Swiss productionswill be showcased: “When the Right One Comes Along” by Oliver Paulus and Stefan Hillebrand, “Ready, Steady, Charlie!”, “Schenglet” by Laurent Nègre and “Asshak – Tales from the Sahara” by Ulrike Koch.
Zurich, January 27, 2004