Swiss films in Edinburgh
09.08.2006
At the 60th Edinburgh International Filmfestival (EIFF), which takes place in the Scottish capital from August 14 – 27, 2006, and is one of the oldest existing film festivals, three Swiss films will be part of the competition. “Schwarze Schafe/Black Sheep”, the second long feature film by Oliver Rihs (“Brombeerchen”) will celebrate its world premiere in the “Rosebud” section, which presents new directing talents. The documentary film “A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash” by Basil Gelpke and Roy McCormack, which has already had considerable festival success, will be shown in the “Document” section. With this section, the festival originated 60 years ago. Also presented in the “Document” section will be the co-production “Die grosse Stille” (The great silence) by Philip Gröning (Co-production: Ventura Film, Meride).
“A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash” examines the world’s dependence on the availability of cheap fossil-based fuel. The film argues that oil and gas resources could diminish quickly, as generally expected, and alternative sources of energy are not currently available to satisfy the ever-increasing global thirst for energy (Music by Phillip Glass, among others). “A Crude Awakening” received an award for second best documentary film at the Galway festival, and it has been shown in several countries since its premiere in March 2006, as for example at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto, the second largest North American documentary film festival, as well as at the Auckland International Film Festival in New Zealand. It is currently participating at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Additional festival participation will follow in October and November 2006, such as in Norway (Bergen), and in Great Britain (Leeds and Sheffield). Swiss members of the parliament (both House of Representatives and the Senate) will be viewing “A Crude Awakening – The Oil Crash) during their fall session.
Zurich, August 9, 2006
Zurich, August 9, 2006