Idyllic mountain scenery, the legend of William Tell, and the numerous media adaptations of Johanna Spyri’s “Heidi” shape the cinematic image of Switzerland from a German perspective. In addition, there are numerous adaptations of literary classics such as Gottfried Keller and Jeremias Gotthelf. But there is much more to discover that connects the film production of the two countries.
The 37th International Film History Conference explores the diverse interconnections between German and Swiss film history and production.
To begin with, Achatz von Müller gives an overview of the myths and history of Switzerland, and Frédéric Maire presents the special features of Swiss film history. Martin Girod examines the business and political aspects of film relations between Germany and Switzerland in the period 1933-45. The Scotoni brothers’ production company Terra, which was also active in Switzerland during this period, made films in line with Nazi ideology. Daniel Otto takes a look behind the scenes and at the company’s working methods. Due to the hurdles involved in obtaining a work permit, only a few filmmakers were able to continue their careers in exile in Switzerland. The experiences of exile of Hans Richter and Julius Pinschewer, who were also successful in Switzerland with short films and commercials, are presented in the panel “Short Films in Exile” by Yvonne Zimmermann, Martin Loiperdinger, and Ralf Forster. The uniqueness of Switzerland as a linguistic region is also reflected in the reception of multilingual versions, which—often filmed in German and French—found a lucrative market in Switzerland, as Daniel Wiegand and Jessica Berry demonstrate using the example of the reception of DIE NACHT GEHÖRT UNS (1929). Felix Aeppli examines the coexistence of dialect and High German in Swiss film. In the panel “Myths and Nationalism,” Benedikt Eppenberger examines Swiss film propaganda using Leopold Lindtberg’s LANDAMMANN STAUFFACHER (1941) as an example. Timur Sijaric examines the staging of National Socialist audiovisual myths, while Axel Block takes a special look at the Swiss mountains as the main actors for the cameramen of the Fribourg School. In the concluding panel, Elizabeth Ward deals with the relationship between the GDR and Switzerland and the presentation of DEFA films at the Locarno Film Festival.
The conference will be complemented by a presentation of the Cinémathèque suisse by its director Frédéric Maire.