Swiss Documentary Films on German Movie Screens
19.11.2003
Contemporary Swiss documentary filmmaking is currently exhibiting a dynamic and successful presence, and its impact extends to neighboring Germany. “Elisabeth Kübler Ross – Facing Death” By Stefan Haupt (Distribution: Salzgeber) sold 60,000 tickets within 16 weeks with steady sales throughout. “Diether Roth” by Edith Jud, “Shepherds’ Journey into the Third Millenium” by Erich Langjahr, and “Von Werra” by Werner Schweizer will all be released in major German cities in the second half of November. In September of this year, “Behind Me”, the portrait of actor Bruno Ganz (Distribution: Kool Verleih), started with six copies in Germany, and in October, “Gambling, Gods, and LSD” by Peter Mettler (Distribution: GM Films) had its release with two copies. It appears that federal support for the distribution of Swiss films in Europe by the Federal Office of Cultural Affairs, which began this year, is bearing fruit.
The German premiere of “Dieter Roth” (Production: Reck Film) took place at the FilmKunstBiennale in Cologne on October 29 with director Edith Jud in attendance. The movie’s release will be on November 20th in Berlin, Freiburg and Cologne (Distribution: Mettler). Later, the film will be shown in Hanover and Hamburg.
With the presence of revered actor Hardy Krüger and director Werner Schweizer, the premiere of the aviation film “Von Werra” took place in Cologne on November 16. Dschoint Ventschr produced this film, and it will also be released in German movie theatres on November 20, starting with Berlin and Cologne, followed by Stuttgart and Munich (Distribution: Real Fiction).
Erich Langjahr, winner of the 2003 Swiss Film Prize, is distributing his film “Shepherds’ Journey into the Third Millenium” directly from Switzerland. Starting November 27th, it will be shown in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich.
The MEDIA fund, a promotional program to advance foreign distribution of Swiss films, was introduced by the Federal Office of Cultural Affairs in the beginning of 2003. It has had a positive effect by giving Swiss films equal footing with their European counterparts on the film market. A survey by the Swiss Film Center of German distribution companies supports the fact that this new measure has increased the number of Swiss films shown in Germany.
Zurich, November 19, 2003
With the presence of revered actor Hardy Krüger and director Werner Schweizer, the premiere of the aviation film “Von Werra” took place in Cologne on November 16. Dschoint Ventschr produced this film, and it will also be released in German movie theatres on November 20, starting with Berlin and Cologne, followed by Stuttgart and Munich (Distribution: Real Fiction).
Erich Langjahr, winner of the 2003 Swiss Film Prize, is distributing his film “Shepherds’ Journey into the Third Millenium” directly from Switzerland. Starting November 27th, it will be shown in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich.
The MEDIA fund, a promotional program to advance foreign distribution of Swiss films, was introduced by the Federal Office of Cultural Affairs in the beginning of 2003. It has had a positive effect by giving Swiss films equal footing with their European counterparts on the film market. A survey by the Swiss Film Center of German distribution companies supports the fact that this new measure has increased the number of Swiss films shown in Germany.
Zurich, November 19, 2003