A hurricane of catastrophic proportions is brewing over Switzerland. The country is in a state of emergency. Ten directors from a new generation of filmmakers imagine how the Swiss would deal with the worst possible disaster: the downfall of their country.
Michael Krummenacher, born 1985 in Schwyz. In 2005 he attends the Filmmaking Workshop at Columbia University in New York, before beginning to study direction at the HFF Munich. There he gets to know Peter Baranowski, with whom in 2009 he founds the production company Passanten Film. In the same year, he completes his first feature film HINTER DIESEN BERGEN, which premieres at the International Rotterdam Film Festival in 2010. His short WENN ALLE DA SIND is nominated in 2012 for the German Short Film Award, and his diploma film SIBYLLE premieres in 2015 at the 65th Berlin Film Festival.
Jan Gassmann, born 1983, comes from Zurich. In 2004 he begins studying documentary film direction at the HFF Munich. His first feature film CHRIGU is shown at the 57th Berlin Film Festival and plays successfully in the cinema. In 2008 Jan Gassmann wins the Bern and Zurich Film Awards for CHRIGU, and in 2009 the Prix Walo. Subsequent films are OFF BEAT (Berlin Film Festival 2010) and KARMA SHADUB (International Jury Award Nyon). Jan lives in Zurich and together with Julia Tal and Lisa Blatter head of the production company 2:1 Film.
Lisa Blatter, born 1979. She studies filmmaking at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) from 2002 to 2008. Her short films made there, TRAURIGE JUNGS TANZEN, WENN NIEMAND HINSIEHT and NACHGLÜHEN, are successfully shown at various film festivals, including Locarno 2008. Lisa lives in Zurich und together with Julia Tal and Jan Gassmann runs the production company 2:1 Film. She is currently in the midst of shooting her debut film SKIZZEN VON LOU.
Gregor Frei, born 1984, takes his first steps at the TV collective «VideoGang». In 2005 he founds the production company hiddenframe. From 2008 until 2011 he studies cinema at the Cantonal School of Art ECAL in Lausanne. His diploma film HANDSCHLAG wins several prizes, including the Bern Film Award. Gregor still works for hiddenframe as director, screenwriter, and cinematographer.
Benny Jaberg, born 1981, studies film direction at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). His MA diploma film DANIEL SCHMID—LE CHAT QUI PENSE premieres in 2010 at the Berlin Film Festival, subsequently being shown at numerous international film festivals and in the cinema. Benny’s short documentary THE GREEN SERPENT—OF VODKA, MEN AND DISTILLED DREAMS (2013) wins the Boccalino d’oro at Festival del film Locarno as well as the Zurich Film Award and Swiss Film Award for the Best Short Film.
Born in Geneva in 1985, Carmen Jaquier studies cinema at the l’Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne. Her first film LE TOMBEAU DES FILLES in 2011 wins a Pardino d’argento at Locarno International Film Festival, as well as the Reflet d’Or for the best Swiss short film at the Festival Tous-Ecrans de Genève. Shot in the Canton of Valais, LA RIVIÈRE SOUS LA LANGUE is her most recent short film, to be presented at Locarno (2015) in the competition Pardi di domani.
Jonas Meier, born 1978. From 2002 to 2006 he is enrolled in the department Video at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), obtaining his diploma in 2006. His short films ALICE IN THE SKY, SUPER BOOST and MÜRNERS UNIVERSUM are shown at many festivals. Today, Jonas lives and works in Winterthur as a free-lance film director of commercials and documentaries. He is co-founder of the production company zweihund.
Tobias Nölle was born in 1976 and grew up in Zurich. After completing a four-year film programme at the School of Visual Arts in New York, today he works as director, screenwriter, and editor. His short film RENÉ wins among other prizes the Golden Leopard at Locarno and the first prize at Tampere. In 2015, his first feature-length film will celebrate its premiere.
Lionel Rupp, born in 1983. He makes several short films, such as LE POISSON, ESKAPOP and LA FORÊT which are shown at various international festivals and win numerous prizes. In 2012 he completes his first feature film QUAI OUEST. Since 2008 he has been working in the transdisciplinary cooperative Zooscope, where he collaborates with fine artists, directors, and musicians.
Mike Scheiwiller, born 1978 in Zurich. After studying history and film science at the University of Zurich, he starts working in journalism in 2008, writing for various products of the Ringier media company. Since 2010 he has also been picture editor for a press photo agency. Until 2014 he has been involved with several projects of 2:1 Film as a free-lance writer, including Lisa Blatter’s debut film SKIZZEN VON LOU.
