SWISS
FILMS
2020 FICTION FALL
SWISS FILMS Neugasse 6, 8005 Zurich Switzerland www.swissfilms.ch Watch Swiss shorts online www.swissfilms.ch/shortfilmlibrary
Published in September 2020 Image campaign by Sophie Brasey
SWISS FILMS FICTION FALL 2020
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NEW FEATURES BEYTO CAGED BIRDS EDEN FÜR JEDEN MY WONDERFUL WANDA SAMI, JOE AND I SPAGAT / ШПAГAТ THE NEW GOSPEL
BLACK HOLE DIRT DEVIL 550 XS PEOPLE ON SATURDAY THE SET-UP THE TIME OF A NIGHT TO BE THERE
13 TIFF FILMMAKER LAB 14 ZFF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
9 NEW SHORTS 9 A THRUSH FLAPPING ITS WINGS AGAINST THE WIND 9 ALA KACHUU – TAKE AND RUN
15 COMING SOON 29 IN PRODUCTION 30 SUPPORT MEASURES
SWISS FILMS TEAM
CATHERINE ANN BERGER Managing Director caberger@swissfilms.ch T +41 76 368 02 65
AIDA SULJICIC Head of Festivals & Markets asuljicic@swissfilms.ch T +41 77 431 87 79
ANDREAS BÜHLMANN Consultant Film & Industry abuehlmann@swissfilms.ch T +41 79 303 58 69
LAURA DANIEL Consultant Film, Talent & Awards ldaniel@swissfilms.ch T +41 76 343 61 16
MARCEL MÜLLER Consultant Film, Programmes & VOD mmueller@swissfilms.ch T +41 79 787 93 88
SYLVAIN VAUCHER Consultant Short Films svaucher@swissfilms.ch T +41 79 542 83 80
NEW FEATURES
BEYTO directed by Gitta Gsell 2
He is a talented swimmer and motivated apprentice: Beyto is in the prime of life. But when the son of Turkish immigrants falls in love with his coach Mike, the world collapses. His parents see only one way out: they lure him back to their homeland and marry him to Seher. When the couple returns, Beyto finds himself in a love triangle. How can he find his way back to Mike without robbing Seher of her future?
Fiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Lomotion AG Filmproduktion, Bern www.lomotion.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Zurich Film Festival 2020
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 98 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: Swiss-German, Turkish SCREENPLAY: Gitta Gsell, Yusuf Yesilöz CAST: Burak Ates, Dimitri Stapfer, Ecem Aydin, Beren Tuna, Serkan Tastemur, Zeki Bulgurcu PRODUCTION: Lomotion AG Filmproduktion, Bern / Sulaco Film GmbH, Basel PRODUCERS: Louis Mataré, Magdalena Welter, David Fonjallaz
GITTA GSELL * 1953. After attending the F+F School for Art and Design in Zurich Gitta Gsell moved to New York. She studied at the School of Visual Arts, New York, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and at the Hunter College, New York, graduating with a Master of Fine Arts in Combined Media in 1984. Since 1981 she works as a screenwriter and director. She is known for BÖDÄLÄ – DANCE THE RHYTHM (2009), IRÈNE SCHWEIZER (2005) and MELODY OF NOISE (2016) all focusing on local music and dance culture.
NEW FEATURES STÜRM: BIS WIR TOT SIND ODER FREI
CAGED BIRDS directed by Oliver Rihs
SWITZERLAND / GERMANY Fiction, 117 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: German, Swiss-German SCREENPLAY: Dave Tucker, Ivan Madeo, Oliver Keidel, Oliver Rihs CAST: Joel Basman, Marie Leuenberger, Anatole Taubman, Jella Haase PRODUCTION: Contrast Film, Zurich / Port au Prince, Berlin / Niama Film, Stuttgart / SRF / Teleclub / ARTE / BR / HR SWISS PRODUCERS: Ivan Madeo, Stefan Eichenberger
WORLD RIGHTS: Contrast Film, Zurich www.contrastfilm.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Filmfest Hamburg 2020
Fiction
OLIVER RIHS * 1971. Oliver Rihs is a Swiss director, screenwriter and producer since 1995. BROMBEERCHEN (2002) was his first feature-length film, followed by SCHWARZE SCHAFE (2006), which attained cult status in Berlin, his adoptive home as of 1999. He is founder and partner of Port au Prince Film & Kultur Produktion since 2008.
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Barbara Hug is a young radical lawyer fighting Switzerland’s antiquated prison system in the 1980s. Walter Stürm is a charmer and chancer. Taunting the establishment with his outrageous thefts and media savvy he’s in and often escaping out of jail and becomes known as the Jailbreak King. When the two meet an unlikely alliance is formed.
NEW FEATURES
EDEN FÜR JEDEN directed by Rolf Lyssy 4
When her apartment is terminated, student Nelly moves with her slightly demented grandmother to her plot in the community garden. Inspired and supported by her enamoured neighbour, she sets off to fight the pedantic president of the family garden, Franco, and unwittingly shakes the well-kept secret that once divided her family – and which had its beginning in the colourful and multicultural community garden world.
Fiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Atlantis Pictures Ltd, Ebikon www.atlantis-pictures.com WORLD PREMIERE: Zurich Film Festival 2020
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 90 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Swiss-German SCREENPLAY: Dominik Bernet CAST: Steffi Friis, Heidi Diggelmann, Andreas Matti, Marc Sway, Pablo Aguilar, Hans Suter, Suly Röthlisberger, René Ander-Huber, Fiamma-Maria Camesi, Antonio Da Silva, Marina Navarrete PRODUCTION: Atlantis Pictures Ltd, Ebikon / SRF PRODUCER: Marcel Wolfisberg
ROLF LYSSY * 1936. Rolf Lyssy trained as a photographer. He works as a cameraman, editor, screenwriter, publisher and director. His film career began in 1964, working on films by Alain Tanner. Rolf Lyssy’s film THE SWISSMAKERS (1978) has remained the most successful Swiss film of the past 60 years. His 50-year creative phase has resulted in a multifaceted oeuvre with fiction and documentary films. EDEN FÜR JEDEN is his latest film. Lyssy will be honored with a Career Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival.
NEW FEATURES WANDA, MEIN WUNDER
MY WONDERFUL WANDA directed by Bettina Oberli
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 110 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: German SCREENPLAY: Cooky Ziesche, Bettina Oberli CAST: Marthe Keller, André Jung, Birgit Minichmayr, Jacob Matschenz, Anatole Taubman, Agnieszka Grochowska PRODUCTION: Zodiac Pictures Ltd, Zurich / SRF / SRG SSR / Teleclub PRODUCERS: Lukas Hobi, Reto Schaerli
WORLD SALES: The Match Factory, Cologne www.the-match-factory.com WORLD PREMIERE: Tribeca Film Festival New York 2020
Fiction
BETTINA OBERLI * 1972. Bettina Oberli studied Film at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and is known for her award-winning first feature NORTH WIND (2004), which premiered in San Sebastian. Her second feature LATE BLOOMERS (2006), became a huge box office hit in Switzerland and was selected for several international film festivals. WITH THE WIND (2018) premiered at the Locarno Film Festival and was honoured with the Variety Piazza Grande Award.
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Wanda nurses the patriarch of the wealthy WegmeisterGloor family. When an unexpected complication arises, family secrets come to light and arrangements are made to try and appease everyone in this biting family drama.
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SAMI, JOE AND I
SAMI, JOE UND ICH
written & directed by Karin Heberlein 6
Sami, Joe and Leyla are ready. Ready for a truly epic summer after finishing school and ready to get out and grab their slice of life. But what is to come, is diametri cally opposed to their expectations and of a different magnitude then they anticipated. Determined to stand up for themselves, the three friends find out how right Leyla’s mom was when she told them: always keep more dreams in your soul than reality can destroy.
Fiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Abrakadabra Films AG, Zurich www.abrakadabra.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Zurich Film Festival 2020
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 94 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: Swiss-German, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian CAST: Anja Gada, Rabea Lüthi, Jana Sekulovska, Karim Daoud, Astrit Alihajdaraj, Danijela Milijic, Nikola Sosic, Linda Olsansky, Nicolas Rosat, Oscar Sales Bingisser, Daniel Hajdu, Jennifer Perez, Karim Darwiche, Sean Douglas PRODUCTION: Abrakadabra Films AG, Zurich / SRF PRODUCER: Claudia Wick
KARIN HEBERLEIN Karin Heberlein trained as an actress at Central School of Speech & Drama in London. She worked for various theatres in the UK, co-wrote and performed with a number of ensembles, and toured festivals across the globe. Her focus shifted to film after attending the Master Class programme at the NFTS / Met Film School. In 2013 she received a scholarship for Drehbuchwerkstatt München / Zürich at the HFF. Since then she has worked as a writer and director. SAMI, JOE AND I is her first feature film.
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directed by Christian Johannes Koch
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 110 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: Swiss-German, Russian SCREENPLAY: Christian Johannes Koch, Josa Sesink CAST: Rachel Braunschweig, Alexey Serebryakov, Masha Demiri, Michael Neuenschwander, Nellie Hächler PRODUCTION: CognitoFilms, Zurich / SRF PRODUCERS: Rajko Jazbec, Dario Schoch
WORLD RIGHTS: CognitoFilms, Zurich www.cognito-films.ch WORLD PREMIERE: San Sebastian 2020
Fiction
CHRISTIAN JOHANNES KOCH * 1986. Christian Johannes Koch is a director, screenwriter and lecturer in script development. His work straddles a variety of media and institutional contexts. After a number of short films, SPAGAT / ШПAГAТ is his feature film debut. He lives in Zurich and works transnationally.
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Winter in rural Switzerland. Marina, a teacher in her mid-forties, leads a quiet life with her husband and daughter. But appearances are deceptive; she is having a secret affair with Artem, the father of one of her students, Ulyana. Although both Artem and his daughter have lived in Switzerland for years, neither has a residence permit. When Ulyana is caught stealing it exposes their game of hide-and-seek and threatens the existences of everyone involved.
NEW FEATURES
THE NEW GOSPEL
DAS NEUE EVANGELIUM
written & directed by Milo Rau 8
What would Jesus preach in the 21�� century? Who would his apostles be? The filmmaker and his team return to the origins of the gospel and stage it as a passion play for an entire population. Together with Yvan Sagnet, a former farm worker and activist from Cameroon, Milo Rau creates a new gospel for the 21st century: A manifesto of solidarity for the poorest, a cinematic uprising for a fairer, more humane world.
Docufiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Langfilm – Bernard Lang AG, Freienstein www.langfilm.ch Fruitmarket Arts und Medien GmbH, Cologne www.fruitmarket.de WORLD PREMIERE: Venice 2020
GERMANY / SWITZERLAND Docufiction, 107 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: English, French, Italian CAST: Yvan Sagnet, Marcello Fonte, Enrique Irazoqui, Maja Morgenstern PRODUCTION: Fruitmarket Arts und Medien GmbH, Cologne / Langfilm – Bernard Lang AG, Freienstein / IIPM International Institute of Political Murder, Cologne / SRF / ZDF/ARTE SWISS PRODUCER: Olivier Zobrist
MILO RAU * 1977. Milo Rau is a director, writer and since the 2018/19 season artistic director of NTGent in Belgium. Since 2002 he has published over fifty plays, films and books. He was awarded several honorary doctorates and won among others the European Theatre Prize and the prize of the International Theatre Insitute (ITI). He is also known for his documentary films THE MOSCOW TRIALS (2014) and THE CONGO TRIBUNAL (2017).
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SWITZERLAND Docufiction, 17 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Portuguese PRODUCERS: Delphine Jeanneret, Nicolas Wadimoff PRODUCTION AND WORLD RIGHTS: Geneva University of Art & Design (HEAD – Genève) head.hesge.ch/cinema WORLD PREMIERE: Locarno Film Festival 2020
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Luis, a young farm hand, helps Vasco finish a contract to cut a huge amount of wood before winter, while his wife in Portugal is about to give birth. In the meantime, the tension rises and the distance becomes unbearable.
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UM TORDO BATENDO AS ASAS CONTRA O VENTO written & directed by Alexandre Haldemann
NEW SHORTS
A THRUSH FLAPPING ITS WINGS AGAINST THE WIND
ALA KACHUU – TAKE AND RUN
Nineteen-year-old Sezim wants to fulfil her dream of studying in the Kyrgyz capital when she gets kidnapped by a group of young men and taken to the hinterland. There she’s forced to marry a stranger. If she refuses the marriage, she is threatened with social stigmatization and exclusion. Torn between her desire for freedom and the constraints of Kyrgyz culture, Sezim desperately seeks for a way out.
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 38 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Kirghiz CAST: Alina Turdumamatova, Nurbek Esengazy Uulu PRODUCERS: Nadine Lüchinger, Flavio Gerber PRODUCTION AND WORLD RIGHTS: Filmgerberei GmbH, Zurich www.filmgerberei.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Rhode Island International Film Festival 2020 MORE INFORMATION: www.alakachuu.com
Fiction
written & directed by Maria Brendle
TROU NOIR directed by Tristan Aymon
When Vincent, a young skateboarder, meets a vulnerable animal at the bottom of a hole, the encounter will get him to confront his own fears of the unknown.
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 29 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: French SCREENPLAY: Tristan Aymon, Marianne Brun CAST: Martin Barras, David Evora, Tilo Kübler, Martin Pittet, Anthony Maurer, Stefanie Günther Pizarro PRODUCER: Isabelle Zampiero PRODUCTION: Terrain Vague, Lausanne / RTS WORLD RIGHTS: Terrain Vague, Lausanne www.terrainvague.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Locarno Film Festival 2020
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Fiction
NEW SHORTS
BLACK HOLE
DIRT DEVIL 550 XS written & directed by Rolf Hellat
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SWITZERLAND Fiction, 16 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Swiss-German CAST: Julia Gräfner, Markus Urbscheit, Giorgina Hämmerli, Pablo Aguilar, Yann Schmidhalter, Jonas Rüegg, Gwendolin Kircali PRODUCERS: Rolf Hellat, Dario Schoch PRODUCTION: Rolf Hellat, Zurich / Nordhang Film GmbH, Zurich / CognitoFilms, Zurich WORLD RIGHTS: Rolf Hellat, Zurich www.hellat.ch
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Residents of a flat share discuss the purchase of a new vacuum cleaner. A genuine film about group dynamics and daily living together, in which banality, poetry and humour are mixed.
MENSCHEN AM SAMSTAG written & directed by Jonas Ulrich
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 10 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Without dialogue PRODUCER: Nicole Boner PRODUCTION: Dynamic Frame GmbH, Zurich / SRF WORLD RIGHTS: Dynamic Frame GmbH, Zurich www.dynamic-frame.ch WORLD PREMIERE: Locarno Film Festival 2020 MORE INFORMATION: www.menschenamsamstag.ch
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A sunny Saturday afternoon in Zurich. Ten tableaux show people struggling with the small and big challenges of their daily lives.
Fiction
NEW SHORTS
PEOPLE ON SATURDAY
THE SET-UP
Jacob returns home with one intention: to kill himself. Detached from the outside world behind thick curtains, Jacob has lost all will to live. With a mouthful of barbiturates and a cooking bag over his head, he thinks he has done everything he needs to leave this world peacefully. After swallowing all the tablets, an alert from his computer pulls him, one last time, back to reality.
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 14 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Without dialogue SCREENPLAY: Rodrigo Peñalosa Pita CAST: Rodrigo Peñalosa Pita PRODUCER: Malika Pellicioli PRODUCTION: Tolmao Sàrl, Veyrier WORLD SALES: Origine Films, Paris www.originefilms.fr
Fiction
directed by Malika Pellicioli
LE TEMPS D’UNE NUIT written & directed by Alice Fargier
SWITZERLAND / FRANCE Fiction, 21 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: French CAST: Salomé Richard, Tomas Gonzalez, Natalie Beder SWISS PRODUCERS: Francine Lusser, Gérard Monier PRODUCTION: Tipi’mages Productions sàrl, Geneva / La Belle Affaire Productions, Paris WORLD SALES: Manifest, Paris www.manifest.pictures
Nora disappeared for several months. One summer evening, she reappeared at a party at the home of a man named Samuel. Camille, her best friend, comes to find her, unsure of how to act. The night progresses, a trio forms and time stands still.
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Fiction
NEW SHORTS
THE TIME OF A NIGHT
TO BE THERE written & directed by Nefeli Chrysa Avgeris
Fiction
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 17 min., 2020 ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Swiss-German CAST: Annina Polivka, Julie Burkardt, Vjosa Azemi, Martha Benedict PRODUCER: Julie Burkardt PRODUCTION AND WORLD RIGHTS: Nefeli Chrysa Avgeris & Julie Burkardt productions, Basel julie_burkardt@icloud.com
Four young women grappling with themselves and their self-esteem, far from everyday life and social media. A multitude of subtle revelations in the constant process of being a woman.
His short documentaries THE THREE SWALLOWS (2016) and SONALI (2017) both premiered at Visions du Réel in Nyon. With the short fiction film THE TALE OF ANTONIA (2016) he won a Tiger Award at IFFR 2017.
JORGE CADENA DIRECTOR
TIFF FILMMAKER LAB
Born 1985 in Colombia and based in Geneva, Jorge Cadena studied photography in Buenos Aires. He graduated in 2018 with a Master in Film from the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève).
Jorge Cadena will participate at the TIFF Filmmaker Lab 2020, a talent development programme that will take place online during the Toronto International Film Festival. Selected directors receive an exceptional professional development experience and an introduction to the global community of filmmaking. FILMOGRAPHY (SELECTION) IN DEVELOPMENT 2020 TROPICAL MALAISE Fiction, 90 min. RELEASED 2018 THE JARARIJU SISTERS Fiction, 21 min. 2017 SONALI Expanded Cinema, 8 min. 2016 THE TALE OF ANTONIA Fiction, 30 min. 2016 THE THREE SWALLOWS Documentary, 17 min.
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For his latest film, THE JARARIJU SISTERS (2018), Jorge Cadena received a special mention, both in 2019, at Kyiv IFF Molodist and Berlinale (Generation 14plus). He was a participant in the EFP programme Future Frames 2019 in Karlovy Vary. He is currently working on his first feature-length film TROPICAL MALAISE, a Swiss-Columbian coproduction with Geneva-based Golden EggProduction
ZFF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
ROLF LYSSY DIRECTOR
Rolf Lyssy’s film THE SWISSMAKERS (1978) has remained the most successful Swiss comedy of the past 60 years. Born in 1936, the director’s career began in 1964, working on films by Reni Mertens and Walter Marti as well as Alain Tanner. His initial recognition as a director and author was with KONFRONTATION (1975), the story of an NSDAP group leader who was assassinated in Davos. His 50-year creative phase has resulted in a multifaceted œuvre with fiction and documentary films. In his book “Swiss Paradise” Lyssy processed the life crisis he experienced as a filmmaker at the end of the 1990s. In 2012 he received the Honorary “Quartz” Award of the Swiss Film Awards.
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The Zurich Film Festival will pay tribute to Rolf Lyssy with a “Career Achievement Award” for his work.
FILMOGRAPHY (SELECTION) 2020 2017 2011 2009 2006 2004 2002 1989 1983 1978
EDEN FÜR JEDEN Fiction, 100 min. DIE LETZTE POINTE Fiction, 99 min. URSULA – LEBEN IN ANDERSWO Documentary, 86 min. HARD(YS) LIFE Documentary, 66 min. DIE VITUSMACHER Documentary, 55 min. WÄG VODE GASS! Documentary, 53 min. WRITING AGAINST DEATH Documentary, 56 min. LEO SONNYBOY Fiction, 92 min. TEDDY BÄR Fiction, 107 min. THE SWISSMAKERS Fiction, 104 min.
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WINTER 2020/21
written & directed by Andreas Fontana
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Yvan De Wiel, a private banker from Geneva, goes to Argentina in the midst of a dictatorship to replace his partner, the object of the most worrying rumours, who disappeared overnight. Between hushed lounges, swimming pools and gardens under surveillance, a remote duel between two bankers who, despite different methods, are the accomplices of a form of discreet and merciless colonization.
WORLD SALES: Be For Films, Brussels www.beforfilms.com
Fiction
AZOR
SWITZERLAND / ARGENTINA / FRANCE Fiction, 100 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: French, Spanish CAST: Fabrizio Rongione PRODUCTION: Alina film, Geneva / Ruda cine, Buenos Aires / Local Films, Paris / RTS SWISS PRODUCERS: Eugenia Mumenthaler, David Epiney
ANDREAS FONTANA * 1982. After completing his Master in Comparative Literature at the University of Geneva, Andreas Fontana moved to Buenos Aires where he trained as production assistant. In 2010 he graduated with a Master in film production from the ECAL in Lausanne and the HEAD in Geneva. His first short film COTONOV VANISHED (2009) won the First Steps prize at Visions du Réel in Nyon. AZOR was selected for The Films After Tomorrow section at Locarno Film Festival 2020.
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LORENZ MERZ * 1981. Formation in painting, music and photography. He studied Film at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) and Universidad del Cine Buenos Aires. With films such as UN DIA Y NADA (Locarno/ Tel Aviv IFF 2008), CHERRY PIE (Rotterdam/Camerimage IFF 2014) and for his cinema tography for SUMMER GAMES (Venice/Toronto IFF 2011) and WAR (San Sebastian/Karlovy Vary IFF 2014) he won inter national awards and three times the SWISS FILM AWARD. He is currently developing a new feature project WHO/MAN.
WORLD RIGHTS: SWITZERLAND Hesse Film GmbH, Zurich Fiction, 100 min. www.hessefilm.ch ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: Swiss-German, French CAST: Ella Rumpf, Pablo Caprez, Art Bllaca, Luna Wedler, Tonatiuh Radzi, Lolita Chammah PRODUCTION: Hesse Film GmbH, Zurich / Milan Film AG, Basel / SRG SSR / Teleclub PRODUCERS: Simon Hesse, Lorenz Merz, Cyrill Gerber
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Young father Gabriel takes care alone of his son. When he falls in love with enigmatic Corey, a state of emergency is declared – wild animals are on the run and life becomes utterly existential.
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written & directed by Lorenz Merz
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WINTER 2020/21
written & directed by Jean-Laurent Chautems
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Claire is an outgoing young woman who hides a deep melancholy. She moves into a new apartment and deceives her loneliness by observing her neighbours. Her attention is captured by Alain, a man with strange phobias who tries hard to avoid any emotional relationship. A singular love story between these two lonely and wounded souls is born, but will it be enough to save them from themselves?
WORLD RIGHTS: P.S. Productions Sàrl, Châtel-St-Denis www.ps-productions.ch
Fiction
CHROMA
SWITZERLAND / BELGIUM Fiction, 96 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: French CAST: Solène Rigot, Aurélien Caeyman, Patrick Chesnais PRODUCTION: P.S. Productions Sàrl, Châtel-St-Denis / Saga Film, Brussels / Magellan Films, Brussels / RTS SWISS PRODUCER: Xavier Grin
JEAN-LAURENT CHAUTEMS * 1973. Jean-Laurent Chautems studied directing at the CLCF in Paris, then worked as first assistant director. He wrote and directed his first feature film, PLUS LÀ POUR PERSONNE (2009), selected for the Namur festival. He co-wrote and directed the series 10, awarded Best Series at the La Rochelle festival. CHROMA (2019) is his second feature film. He is currently developing 125 dB, a science fiction mini series.
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FIONA ZIEGLER * 1983. Fiona Ziegler initially studied Contemporary History and German Studies at the University of Fribourg and Bologna. She graduated in 2009 with a Masters in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. She attended the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts Prague (FAMU) and received her Bachelor in Film in 2015, followed by a Masters in 2020.
SWITZERLAND / CZECH REPUBLIC Fiction, 90 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: Swiss-German, Czech CAST: Dominique Jann, Hana Vagnerová, Ivan Pokorný, Heidi Maria Glössner PRODUCTION: CognitoFilms, Zurich / Cinémotif Films, Prague SWISS PRODUCERS: Rajko Jazbec, Dario Schoch
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Evžen is in his late thirties and has neither a family of his own nor a secure income. Instead, he has established an underground music club in Prague, the city his father originally came from. When the club burns down, he is forced to return to Switzerland to raise money for the renovation. His return confronts him with Karlchen the smuggled crocodile, his father’s lifelong lie and the grotesque charm of the bourgeoisie.
WORLD RIGHTS: CognitoFilms, Zurich www.cognito-films.ch Cinémotif Films, Prague www.cinemotiffilms.cz FAMU, Prague www.famu.cz
Fiction
written & directed by Fiona Ziegler
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VON FISCHEN UND MENSCHEN
written & directed by Stefanie Klemm
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Happiness is complete when Judith, her 6-year-old daughter Milla and her assistant, former drug addict Gabriel, get together on the remote fish farm in the Bernese Jura. But then Milla tragically dies in an accident and the idyll breaks.
WORLD RIGHTS: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Zurich www.dvfilm.ch
Fiction
OF FISH AND MEN
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 87 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: Swiss-German CAST: Sarah Spale, Matthias Britschgi, Lia Wagner, Sarah Hostettler, Julian Koechlin, Lisanne Hirzel, Michael Neuenschwander, Viviana Aliberti, Jeannine Hirzel, Lukas Kubik, Manfred Liechti PRODUCTION: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Zurich / SRF PRODUCER: Sereina Gabathuler
STEFANIE KLEMM * 1966. Stefanie Klemm studied German and Psychology at University of Bern. In 2010 she completed her Master in Film at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). She works as an author and film director, and is the owner of the production company bluebox film.
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ELIE GRAPPE * 1994 in France. Elie Grappe completed musical training at the National Conservatory in Lyon. After attending the preparatory course at École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL) he proceded to study Film, receiving his Bachelor in Film from ECAL in 2015. His short film REHEARSAL (2014), was selected for IDFA, Clermont-Ferrand and Krakow film festivals. His first feature- length fiction film OLGA was selected for The Films After Tomorrow section at the Locarno Film Festival 2020.
SWITZERLAND / FRANCE Fiction, 90 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: French SCREENPLAY: Elie Grappe, Raphaëlle Desplechin CAST: Nastya Budiashkina, Caterina Barloggio, Jérôme Martin PRODUCTION: Point Prod, Geneva / RTS / Cinéma Defacto, Paris SWISS PRODUCER: Jean-Marc Fröhle
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2013. Exiled in Switzerland, Olga, a talented 15-year-old Ukrainian gymnast, passionate about her sport, is trying to secure a place in the National Sports Centre. But the Euromaidan revolt erupts in Kiev, and suddenly her loved ones are involved. As the young girl finds herself obliged to adapt to her new country and prepare for the European Championships, the Ukrainian Revolution enters her life and nothing will ever be the same.
WORLD SALES: Pulsar Content, Paris www.pulsarcontent.com
Fiction
directed by Elie Grappe
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PETER K. – ALONE AGAINST THE STATE
PETER K. – ALLEINE GEGEN DEN STAAT
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written & directed by Laurent Wyss 22
Isolated, Peter K. lives on the edge of society. The pensioner feels supervised by the state. His sister has betrayed him and he is in danger of losing his house. An armed task force finally surrounds his house. He injures a policeman, escapes and flees to the nearby woods. Later in the courtroom, parts of the audience see him as a hero. The judge and the psychiatrist see it differently. Peter is sentenced to prison for life.
Fiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Aardvark Film Emporium, Biel/Bienne www.aardvarkfilm.com
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 105 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: German, Swiss-German CAST: Manfred Liechti, Sibylle Brunner, Hanspeter Bader, Stefanie Günther Pizarro, Beat Albrecht PRODUCTION: Insertfilm AG, Solothurn / Badlandfilms GmbH, Bern PRODUCERS: Pedro Haldemann, Julien Grindat
LAURENT WYSS * 1977. Laurent Wyss studied Journalism in 2004. After a long period of journalistic work in the field of news and sports reporting, various advertising assignments and the realisation of documentary series and documentaries for TeleBielingue followed. In 2014 he directed his first feature film MANCHE HUNDE MÜSSEN STERBEN.
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LUKE GASSER * 1966. Swiss director Luke Gasser is a man of many talents. If he is not shooting films or writing scripts and books, the skilled sculptor rocks the stages as a musician. TELL – A HUNTER’S TALE is his twelfth film. His documentary BODMER’S JOURNEY (2010) was awarded at several American film festivals. THE MAKING OF JESUS CHRIST (2013) was in competition at the Warsaw Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the Nevada Film Festival.
WORLD RIGHTS: SWITZERLAND / GERMANY Silvertrain Productions Fiction, 149 min. GmbH, Kägiswil ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: luke.gasser@bluewin.ch German, English, Swiss-German CAST: Luke Gasser, Carlo Ljubek, Kathrin Kühnel, Daniel Rohr PRODUCTION: Silvertrain Productions GmbH, Kägiswil / Constantin Film AG, Munich / RSC – Reinhard Steiner Creation, Wil SG / Mooo Pictures, Munich / Teleclub SWISS PRODUCERS: Luke Gasser, Reinhard J. Steiner, Norbert Preuss, Anke Beining-Wellhausen
Fiction
King Rudolf of Habsburg dies in July 1291 and leaves the valleys surrounding Lake Lucerne in a power vacuum. The new despotic bailiff named Gissler shows himself a tyrant. Humiliated and robbed, Tell finds himself in the middle of the very same politics he did not want to get involved in. The planned uproar by the local gentry is off the table, after they have been bought by Gissler. This prompts Tell to act on his own authority. In December 1291, the saga ends in a bloodshed.
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written & directed by Luke Gasser
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DAS MÄDCHEN UND DIE SPINNE
a film by Ramon & Silvan Zürcher
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Lisa moves out. Mara is left behind. All sorts of commotion transpire. As boxes are being moved, tile joints renewed and cupboards built, abysses begin to open up, yearnings fill the room and an emotional rollercoaster is set in motion. A tragicomic catastrophe film. A poetic ballad about change and transience.
WORLD RIGHTS: Beauvoir Films, Geneva www.beauvoirfilms.ch
Fiction
THE GIRL AND THE SPIDER
SWITZERLAND Fiction, 95 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: German SCREENPLAY: Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher CAST: Henriette Confurius, Liliane Amuat, Ursina Lardi, Flurin Giger, André M. Hennicke, Ivan Georgiev, Dagna Litzenberger Vinet, Lea Draeger, Sabine Timoteo, Birte Schnöink PRODUCTION: Beauvoir Films, Geneva / SRF PRODUCERS: Aline Schmid, Adrian Blaser
RAMON & SILVAN ZÜRCHER * 1982. Ramon Zürcher studied Visual Arts at the Bern School of Arts (HKB) and Film at the DFFB in Berlin. * 1982. Silvan Zürcher studied Philosophy, Film and German in Zurich and Bern and Production at the DFFB. Their award-winning debut film THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT (2013) premiered at the Forum of the Berlinale and has been shown at over 80 festivals, such as TIFF, Cannes, Viennale and New Directors / New Films in New York.
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MARC WILKINS * 1976. Marc Wilkins has joint Swiss and British citizenship. He lives and works between Zurich and Kyiv as a director and screenwriter. He is known for his short film BON VOYAGE (2016), which screened at numerous international film festivals, was shortlisted for the 89�� Academy Award and won the Swiss Film Award for Best Short Film as well as the award for Best Live Action Short Over 15 Minutes at Palm Springs International ShortFest. THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE is his first feature-length film.
WORLD RIGHTS: SWITZERLAND Dschoint Ventschr Fiction, 90 min. Filmproduktion AG, Zurich ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: www.dvfilm.ch English, Spanish SCREENPLAY: Lani-Rain Feltham, Marc Wilkins CAST: Magaly Solier, Marcelo Durand, Adriano Durand, Tara Thaller, Simon Käser PRODUCTION: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG, Zurich / SRF PRODUCER: Joël Louis Jent
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Two undocumented delivery boys in New York want to be loved by a mysterious Croatian girl while their mother is persuaded by a Swiss pulp fiction novelist to start a burrito empire from their Bronx kitchen. The American Dream becomes a trap when deportation looms.
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YABAN written & directed by Tareq Daoud
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An expatriate in Turkey, Claire pays the services of a smuggler to flee the country with her only daughter, whose custody she has just lost. But he abandons them in a dilapidated house in the middle of the forest. Isolation and despair slowly take their toll on Claire.
WORLD RIGHTS: IDIP Films, Geneva www.idipfilms.com
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SWITZERLAND / FRANCE / TURKEY Fiction, 82 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: French, Turkish CAST: Amira Casar, Khava Israpilova, Haydar Şişman, Doḡanay Ünal PRODUCTION: IDIP Films, Geneva / WAG PROD, Rennes / Ret Film, Istanbul / RTS SWISS PRODUCER: Xavier Derigo
TAREQ DAOUD * 1976 in Afghanistan. Forced to flee the war, Tareq Daoud’s family resettled in Switzerland in the 1980’s. After a Master degree in Biology from Geneva University, he studied cinema at EICTV in La Havana, Cuba. Author of several fiction shorts and a documentary, his works often engage in themes such as identity and exile. He lives and works in Istanbul since 2012. Shot in Northeastern Turkey, YABAN is his first feature-length fiction.
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DENNIS STORMER * 1990 in Germany. In his youth Dennis Stormer cofounded an improvisational theatre group and created installations and performances. He moved to Berlin to work as a film critic for Negativ, while he shot his first short films. Finally he studied film directing at the Columbia University New York and the Filmakademie BadenWürttemberg, from which he graduated in 2019.
WORLD RIGHTS: SWITZERLAND / GERMANY tellfilm GmbH, Zurich Fiction, 83 min. www.tellfilm.ch ORIGINAL LANGUAGE: German SCREENPLAY: Marisa Meier, Dennis Stormer CAST: Lia von Blarer, Saladin Dellers, Elsa Langnäse, Jürg Plüss, Lou Haltinner, Nicolas Rosat, Regula Imboden PRODUCTION: tellfilm GmbH, Zurich / Intuition Club, Schönkirchen / Sehstern Filmproduktion, Frankfurt am Main SWISS PRODUCERS: Marisa Meier, Katrin Renz, Stefan Jäger
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The perpetual underdog, Wanja gets the unique chance to start a career as an architect and becomes an adult. Amongst all the new privileges she starts missing the friends from her youth. The more successful she becomes the more lonely she feels. She finally understands that the youngsters cherish something that the adults have lost: She decides to protect Valpolvra’s last social community instead of chasing a remarkable career.
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written & directed by Marí Alessandrini
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Mora is 13 years old and intends to become a “gaucho”. She questions school and asserts her individuality towards her parents, two environmentalists whose dream of autonomy turns into a nightmare. Mora goes deep into the steppe to help the only friend she has, Nazareno, a Mapuche man who has lost his horse, Zahorí. Awarded with the Pardo 2020 of The Films After Tomorrow – Swiss selection at the Locarno Film Festival.
Fiction
WORLD RIGHTS: Le Laboratoire Central, Lausanne www.lelaboratoirecentral.com
SWITZERLAND / ARGENTINA / CHILE / FRANCE Fiction, 105 min. ORIGINAL LANGUAGES: English, Italian, Mapudungun, Spanish CAST: Lara Viaena Tortosa, Sabine Timoteo, Cirilo Wesley, Carol Jones, Francisca Castillo, Santos Curapil, Michael Silva PRODUCTION: Le Laboratoire Central, Lausanne / El Calefón, Cordoba / Cinestacion, Santiago / Norte Productions, Paris SWISS PRODUCER: Nadejda Magnenat
MARÍ ALESSANDRINI * 1979 in Argentina. Early on Marí Alessandrini developed a keen interest in photography and the performing arts. She worked as a photographer, then as a director and acrobat in a circus company. In 1985 she moved to Geneva and trained in directing and visual arts at the Geneva University of Art & Design (HEAD – Genève). She directed several short films and was selected for the Cinéfondation residence of the Cannes Film Festival to develop this first feature-length fiction film ZAHORÍ.
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99 MOONS
AND TOMORROW YOU WILL BE DEAD
SWITZERLAND Fiction CAST: Valentina Crisafulli, Dominik Fellmann PRODUCTION: Zodiac Pictures Ltd, Zurich / SRF WORLD RIGHTS: Zodiac Pictures Ltd, Zurich www.zodiacpictures.com
by Michael Steiner, director of WOLKENBRUCH SWITZERLAND / GERMANY Fiction CAST: Morgane Ferru, Sven Schelker PRODUCTION: Zodiac Pictures Ltd, Zurich / MMC Zodiac GmbH, Cologne / SRF / Teleclub WORLD SALES: Arri Media Worldsales, Munich
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SPRING 2021
MONTE VERITÀ
PRINCESS
by Stefan Jäger, director of BIG & LITTLE
by Peter Luisi, director of THE SANDMAN and STREAKER
SWITZERLAND / AUSTRIA / GERMANY Fiction CAST: Maresi Riegner, Max Hubacher, Julia Jentsch, Hannah Herzsprung, Joel Basman PRODUCTION: tellfilm GmbH, Zurich / KGP Filmproduktion, Vienna / COIN FILM, Cologne / RSI / ORF / MMC Movies Köln, Cologne WORLD RIGHTS: tellfilm GmbH, Zurich
SWITZERLAND / UKRAINE Fiction CAST: Matthias Habich, Johanna Bantzer, Fabian Krüger PRODUCTION: Spotlight Media Productions AG, Zurich / SRF / Teleclub / Directory Films, Kyiv WORLD RIGHTS: Spotlight Media Productions AG, Zurich
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THE FAM
THUNDER
by Frédéric Baillif, director of EDELWEISS REVOLUTION
by Carmen Jaquier
SWITZERLAND Fiction CAST: Claudia Grob, Kassia Da costa, Amélie Tonsi PRODUCTION: Freshprod, Geneva / RTS WORLD RIGHTS: Freshprod, Geneva www.freshprod.com
SWITZERLAND Fiction CAST: Lilith Grasmug, Lou Iff, Diana Gervalla, Benjamin Python, Noah Watzlawick, Sabine Timoteo, François Revaclier, Léa Gigon, Marco Calamandrei PRODUCTION: Close Up Films, Geneva / RTS WORLD RIGHTS: Close Up Films, Geneva
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by Jan Gassmann, director of OFF BEAT and EUROPE, SHE LOVES
IN PRODUCTION
FALL 2021
DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Supporting the theatrical release of Swiss feature films in Europe.
Supporting the theatrical release of Swiss feature films in thirteen selected non-European territories.
Its aim is to strengthen the visibility and the distribution of Swiss films in Europe. The subsidies are granted according to the “Guidelines Funding for the distribution of Swiss films and coproductions in foreign countries”. Applications must be submitted by the European distributor via the Swiss producer.
Its aim is to strengthen the visibility and the distribution of Swiss films outside of Europe. Eligible territories: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and USA. Applications must be submitted by the foreign distributor via the Swiss producer.
A support measure by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC), administrated by SWISS FILMS. www.bak.admin.ch Contact: support@swissfilms.ch
A support measure by SWISS FILMS in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC). www.swissfilms.ch/en/distribution Contact: support@swissfilms.ch
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SUPPORT MEASURES
DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
FILM SALES SUPPORT
VOD SUPPORT
A scheme by the European Film Promotion (EFP) for the promotion of European films outside of Europe. FSS OPEN CALL: Available to European and Swiss sales companies selling Swiss films at selected festivals and markets through digital promotion campaigns. READY-TO-USE DIGITAL PROMOTION CAMPAIGNS: This scheme encourages the creation of innovative universal digital promotion strategies (B2B/B2C) by European sales companies. Applications must be submitted online by the European sales company. A support measure by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC), Media Desk Suisse and SWISS FILMS. Guidelines and application: www.efp-online.com/en/project_market/fss.php
Supporting the distribution of Swiss films on selected international VOD platforms. Its aim is to increase the visibility and the online distribution of Swiss films. The subsidies are granted according to the “Guidelines VOD Support”. Applications must be submitted by the Swiss rights holder. A support measure by SWISS FILMS in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC). www.swissfilms.ch/en/vod Contact: support@swissfilms.ch
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NOTES
FINANCIAL AID AND SUPPORT MEASURES DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS Contact: support@swissfilms.ch
DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT for applicants (distributors and rights holders) with European and non-European distribution support
IF THE THEATRICAL RELEASE IS POSTPONED: – International distributors who have received a funding agreement from the Federal Office of Culture and who had confirmed the theatrical release may request the first instalment against proof of the distribution costs planned or already incurred within the scope of their application. IF THE THEATRICAL RELEASE IS CANCELLED: – International distributors for whom the theatrical release had to be completed or terminated prematurely can request the second instalment upon receipt of an interim invoice for services already rendered. FOR NEW CINEMA RELEASES: – Submission deadlines for distribution support will remain as such until further notice.
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SWISS FILMS SUPPORT DURING CORONA
METHOD OF PAYMENT FOR
VOD SUPPORT for applicants (rights holders and international distributors currently using alternative distribution)
FILM SALES SUPPORT (FSS) for applicants (sales)
– Applications for VOD Support for the distribution of Swiss films on international VOD platforms can be submitted at any time. – Under the current circumstances, SWISS FILMS also accepts platforms that are not on the SWISS FILMS VOD list, provided there is a valid reason. IF THE MARKET IS POSTPONED OR CANCELLED: – Costs incurred will be paid out against receipt and within the scope of the funding agreed upon. FOR DIGITAL MARKETS: – Applications for support can be submitted within the scope of FSS. The share of costs is based on the regular FSS conditions. – Additional applications for digital online campaigning may be submitted. SWISS FILMS follows the recommendations and guidelines of the European Film Promotion EFP. SWISS FILMS would like to point out that VOD Support is an alternative distribution tool for promoting Swiss films on VOD platforms.
Please consult our website for up-to-date information on our festival attendance. www.swissfilms.ch
SWISS FILMS is supported by
“I tell everyone that you’re my secret.” Marina in SPAGAT by Christian Johannes Koch
