Talking to … Gregor Brändli

How did you come up with the idea for this documentary?

This may sound a bit clichéd, but the film and subject came to me. In 2020, I happened to hear a radio interview with Bernhard Schär, a Swiss historian who was researching the Sarasin family from Basel. It was through him that I came into contact with the artist Deneth Piumakshi Veda Arachchige. Deneth told me about her research work on retracing the Sarasin expeditions now 136 years later. 

It was clear to me that this was a unique opportunity to initiate a film project that would bring together Deneth’s research, my network in Basel and the contacts we had made together in Sri Lanka with members of the indigenous Wanniyala-Aetto. All of this enabled us to approach a historical story from different angles.

Was there a moment during filming that impressed you the most?

There were many impressive moments. Above all, however, working with Deneth Piumakshi Veda Arachchige was incredibly enriching. Together, we succeeded in weaving a coherent narrative from a puzzle of 140 years of history without having to unravel the world. 

Was the documentary film love at first sight for you?

For a long time, I wasn’t sure if I could even make this film. I felt completely out of place with this topic. It was only when we received an invitation from the indigenous Adivasi community of the Wanniyala-Aetto in Sri Lanka that the opportunity to make this film opened up for me. While doing my own research, I also realised that with over 4,000 human remains from the colonial context in Swiss museums, we have a shared responsibility not to further quash this topic for another hundred years. What’s more, film, even outside the documentary genre, is a good means of detecting gaps in the archives. 

You have made numerous advertising films up to now. How difficult was it to balance the two worlds of documentary and advertising?

I tried my hand at advertising, more out of necessity than desire – not because it was my dream job, but because, as a trained photographer, I initially had no connection to the cultural scene. For a long time, I saw myself primarily as a craftsman and technician. Over the last ten years, I have gradually been able to work my way towards my own projects and visions. 

How did the research and collaboration with the museums go?

Given all the archival material in museums, research is primarily a question of time. Many people helped me with this, and Deneth contributed a massive amount of information to the project. It was more difficult to access current developments in the museums. 

The museums have yet to find their own way of dealing with this part of history – and they are not used to being filmed in the process. The space between public interest and artistic freedom was our means of navigating our way through these sometimes somewhat tenuous spaces of opportunity. I would be very happy if the film were to be shown in museums at a later date. 

Were you able to talk to the descendants of Paul and Fritz Sarasin?

I did indeed speak to members of the Sarasin family. However, the family is large and not everyone wanted to appear on camera. The film deals with the Sarasins centrally, but at the same time relatively briefly. It was more important for us to find out whether there is a connection between the historical story of Paul and Fritz Sarasin and people living in Sri Lanka today.

Do you already have a new idea for your next fiction or documentary film? 

There are many topics that interest me – I would love to tackle three more projects at the same time. My previous projects have always been hybrids between film, music and theatre, and I would like to experiment further in this area. In terms of content, I’m taking a lot away from ELEPHANTS & SQUIRRELS. However, I’m going to let things come to me for the time being.