Berlinale 2022

For director Ursula Meier, LA LIGNE (THE LINE) is already the second film to be screened in Berlinale’s Competition. She was honoured with the Silver Bear for her film SISTER in 2012. LA LIGNE is a Swiss-French-Belgian coproduction by Bandita Films in Geneva, together with Les films de Pierre and Les Films du Fleuve. As was the case with SISTER, Ursula Meier collaborated with the renowned cinematographer Agnès Godard. World sales have been acquired by Memento Films, Paris. Stéphanie Blanchoud, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Elli Spagnolo star in the leading roles.

DRII WINTER (A PIECE OF SKY) is Michael Koch’s second feature film after MARIJA (2016). It tells an unusual love story set in a Swiss mountain village and was shot with amateur actors from the region. DRII WINTER is the first film spoken in Swiss-German dialect to screen in competition at the Berlinale in decades. Hugofilm coproduced the film with Pandora Film Produktion in Germany. New Europe Film Sales has the world rights.

Also screened in Berlinale’s Competition will be Ulrich Seidl’s new film RIMINI (Austria, France, Germany), produced in association with Bord Cadre Films (Dan Wechsler) in Geneva.

Two Swiss world premieres in Encounters

Cyril Schäublin’s feature film UNRUEH (UNREST) is one of the two Swiss productions to be screened in the Encounters competition. The film is set in a watch factory and anarchist milieu in the Swiss Jura at the end of the 19th century. The film was produced by Seeland Filmproduktion (Linda Vogel). Paris-based Alpha Violet has acquired the world rights.

Mitra Farahani’s essayistic documentary film À VENDREDI, ROBINSON is a coproduction between France, Lebanon, Iran and Switzerland. The film was coproduced by Casa Azul Films (Fabrice Aragno).

The coming-of-age film CALCINCULO by Italian director Chiara Bellosi will be screened in the Panorama. This is already her second Italian-Swiss coproduction with Tempesta Film, after PALAZZO DI GIUSTIZIA. The Swiss coproducer is tellfilm (Katrin Renz).

The short film LA FIÈVRE by Matias Carlier (THE FEVER) will be screened in Generation 14plus, the competition for a young audience. Marina Rosset’s short animation film LA REINE DES RENARDS (THE QUEEN OF THE FOXES) will be screened in the Kplus Competition.

The independent Forum Expanded programme for experimental formats will present the world premiere of DIVA by artist Nicolas Cilins.

Godard and Goretta

The Berlinale Classics Special section will feature the world premiere of the digitally restored version of Jean-Luc Godard's 2004 film NOTRE MUSIQUE (Vega Film, Ruth Waldburger), released by the Cinémathèque suisse. Godard’s 1980 film SAUVE QUI PEUT (LA VIE) as well as the Swiss classic LA DENTELLIÈRE by Claude Goretta (1976) will both be part of the homage to French actress Isabelle Huppert,

For those who want to learn about the work of iconic director Godard in an immersive way: The “Haus der Kulturen der Welt” and the Berlinale present SENTIMENTS, SIGNES, PASSIONS - a spatial interpretation of Jean-Luc Godard's cinematic oeuvre LE LIVRE D'IMAGE. The exhibition was curated by Fabrice Aragno, Godard’s cinematographer and producer of the film in collaboration with the filmmaker.

A Swiss Shooting Star and Berlinale Talents

Swiss actress Souheila Yacoub was selected by European Film Promotion as one of the 10 European Shooting Stars who will be in the spotlight at the award ceremony in the Berlinale Palast on February 14.

The international networking platform Berlinale Talents, offers emerging talents from all genres the opportunity to present new projects and to network with industry representatives. Swiss participants are German-based director Florian Hoffmann (ARLETTE. MUT IST EIN MUSKEL) and Dutch-based director and producer Naomi Pacifique (AFTER A ROOM).

Swiss participation at the EFM

SWISS FILMS is participating at the online European Film Market EFM with a virtual stand. At the Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 12-16), 34 feature film projects from 32 countries will be presented and networked online with potential coproduction and financing partners from all over the world. From Switzerland, the project LAS CORRIENTES by director Milagros Mumenthaler, produced by Alina films, has been selected.

Five Swiss producers will take part in the Co-Production Market as visitors, thanks to the support of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) in collaboration with SWISS FILMS: Emilie Moore (Adok Films), Magdalena Welter (Lomotion Film), Philipp Ritler (Dynamic Frame), Sophia Rubischung (Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion) and Véronique Vergari (Luna Films). Within the framework of this collaboration with the EFM, the FOC presents Switzerland as an interesting coproduction country.

In order to strengthen the market potential of Swiss films abroad, the FOC supports the participation of Swiss film productions at international film festivals. SWISS FILMS is responsible for implementing this support measure.