Enlightening flight into the night
Two planes collide at an altitude of 11,000 meters. 71 people lose their lives. A bereaved family member kills the air traffic controller in revenge. A horror scenario that in Hollywood could only have been conceived by a hard-nosed action screenwriter. In Switzerland, C-Films and SF have turned the tragedy into a deeply moving drama.
Some feared that this was a case of cheap speculation when Zurich-based C-Films announced its intention to film "The Überlingen Disaster". After the successful "Grounding", a quick reload of the genre with an even more humanly dramatic chapter from the dark days of Swiss aviation? The fears vanished into thin air. At the premiere yesterday, Monday, in Studio 1 of Swiss television, the invited guests were enthusiastic and deeply moved. Ingrid Deltenre, who attended the premiere as her "second last official act" before leaving her post as director at the end of the month, struggled to find the right words in her welcome address. "I can't wish you much pleasure, the subject is too sad for that." The handkerchiefs were not used as much as announced. The professionals in the scene watched the film in the technical environment of a TV studio. "Alone at home, my emotions will definitely come out," said Deltenre at the subsequent premiere party.
"Flug in die Nacht - Das Unglück von Überlingen" does not play with the seductive ingredients of horror that lie dormant in this drama. The movie is staged in a highly suspenseful way. The decisive minutes in the tower will make your hands clammy. The final seconds in the two cockpits are pure goosebumps. But then comes the real quality of this movie. How do the air traffic controller, his bosses at Skyguide, the public, his wife and of course the Russian father, who has lost everything with his wife and two children, continue to live with this fate?
"The young director Till Endemann came to us with the idea that he wanted to deal with this event in a psychological drama. We were quickly impressed by his intelligent approach," explained producer Peter Christian Fueter at the premiere. His C-Films, Maran Film, Don Bohlinger, SWR and the SF television film department spent a year developing the script. The finished work has already been shown on ARD in July. "With an excellent response, but unfortunately during the summer vacation," Fueter regrets. That's why they wanted to use this premiere in Leutschenbach to launch some more "action" in the media for the broadcast on Sunday, September 20, 20.05 on SF 1.
And how will those involved react when they see the movie about their lives and the deaths of their loved ones? Peter Christian Fueter was able to visit the Russian father and later murderer of the air traffic controller for over four hours in prison. "The man was completely traumatized," he recalls. Today, Vitaly Kaloyev works as construction minister in the Russian government. His interpreter in the investigation at the time, who was also present at the premiere, will bring him a DVD of the film to Moscow.
"Flug in die Nacht - Das Unglück von Überlingen" does not play with the seductive ingredients of horror that lie dormant in this drama. The movie is staged in a highly suspenseful way. The decisive minutes in the tower will make your hands clammy. The final seconds in the two cockpits are pure goosebumps. But then comes the real quality of this movie. How do the air traffic controller, his bosses at Skyguide, the public, his wife and of course the Russian father, who has lost everything with his wife and two children, continue to live with this fate?
"The young director Till Endemann came to us with the idea that he wanted to deal with this event in a psychological drama. We were quickly impressed by his intelligent approach," explained producer Peter Christian Fueter at the premiere. His C-Films, Maran Film, Don Bohlinger, SWR and the SF television film department spent a year developing the script. The finished work has already been shown on ARD in July. "With an excellent response, but unfortunately during the summer vacation," Fueter regrets. That's why they wanted to use this premiere in Leutschenbach to launch some more "action" in the media for the broadcast on Sunday, September 20, 20.05 on SF 1.
And how will those involved react when they see the movie about their lives and the deaths of their loved ones? Peter Christian Fueter was able to visit the Russian father and later murderer of the air traffic controller for over four hours in prison. "The man was completely traumatized," he recalls. Today, Vitaly Kaloyev works as construction minister in the Russian government. His interpreter in the investigation at the time, who was also present at the premiere, will bring him a DVD of the film to Moscow.
Andreas Panzeri
(Caption: Scenes from "Flug in die Nacht", with Ken Duken, Jevgenij Sitochin, Sabine Timoteo, Sophie von Kessel, Noemi Mühle, Peter Jecklin, Mike Müller and many others).
