Swiss Review 5/2020

Swiss Review / September 2020 / No.5 18 Oneweek before the lockdown, Agora Films brought out the documentary “Citoyen Nobel”, directed by Stéphane Goël fromLausanne, on the subject of Jacques Dubochet, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. “We tried to release the film again when we re- opened, but it was too late. We lost 10,000 tickets for that film alone, which represents a loss greater than all of the viewings of Swiss films through streaming for the entire pe- riod,” he explains. Even if streaming is winning over a growing number of viewers, it is cin- emas that generate sales revenue. The CEOof Agora Films estimates that the cinema accounts formore than 50 per- cent of filmearnings, while streaming makes up a maximum of 20 percent. “On the big platforms, which are the ones that work best, there is even RECOMMENDATION The Mistress Andrea Štaka (CH/DE, 2006) . Since fleeing the former Yugoslavia in search of a better life in Switzerland, Serbian Ruža has managed to establish herself. Then young Ana from Sarajevo enters the scene. The film explores the pai n of loneliness and of breaking w ith your own pa st Streami ng: www.cinefile.ch oder www.artfilm.ch Trailer: ogy.de/trailer-frae ulein RECOMMENDATION Moskau einfach! Micha Lewinsky (CH, 2020). In autumn 1989, at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall, hun- dreds of thousands of people are being spied on in Switzerland. Unfortunately, zealous policeman Viktor falls in love with the actress he is suppo sed to monitor. Strea ming: www.kino-on-demand.ch Trailer: ogy.de/trailer-moskva RECOMMENDATION Paradise War – The Story of Bruno Manser Nilkaus Hilber (CH, 2019). In 1984, Swiss Bruno Manser travels into the jungles of Borneo to take up the fight of the Penan tribe whose existence is acutely threatened by deforestation. He becomes one of the most renowned environmentalists of his era. But there is no happy ending. Streaming: www .cinefile.ch Trailer: ogy.de/tra iler-manse r Culture more competition from American films,” remarks Dutoit. Save Swiss cinema by saving the cinemas In Switzerland, the most successful VOD service remains that of the coun- try’s primary telephone operator, Swisscom TV. “But people watch the films that are advertised on the home page, which are those with the great- est potential commercial value,” com- ments Dutoit. As such, Swiss auteur films have low visibility. The progno- sis of this distributor is clear: “Swiss cinemawon’t survive on its own. If we want to save it, we have to ensure the survival of cinemas and independent distributors.” Watching a film on the big screen from the comfort of a cinema chair and eating popcorn is a collective ex- perience. Director and President of the Swiss Filmmakers Association (Association Suisse des scénaristes),