A movie miracle rarely comes alone

A Swiss documentary film is nominated for an Oscar and a Swiss television series reaches almost half of the audience on the evening it is broadcast. The coincidence of timing puts these two productions at the center of attention at the beginning of the year, or is it more than coincidence?

In both cases, it is not about a movie production with stars. The documentary film is a genre that finds its way to viewers in unspectacular ways. Swiss film history is rich in works that focus on events and circumstances that we would otherwise miss. They are long for the television program grid, the topics and the design are unusual, and most people who go to the cinema at the weekend want to be entertained. A documentary film therefore has to overcome many hurdles and prejudices before it is seen by a large audience.

Two cultures clash among filmmakers and television executives. The former claim artistic and content-related freedom, while the latter are fundamentally committed to the audience and balance. It has always been personalities who have built a bridge here. Audiovisual culture needs cultural diversity, otherwise television and cinema will become one-size-fits-all. For its part, filmmaking can benefit from the means of production, access to living rooms and public debate. Not everything automatically has to be flat and banal. The risk of edgy productions is worthwhile for everyone involved.

Thanks to Markus Imhoof, the life and death of bees is attracting the attention of a wide range of politicians and the general public. The film begins with his grandfather's bees in Zofingen and shows how bees are dying worldwide. Anyone who has seen the film knows about the complexity of bees, their central importance for nature and food, and the threat they pose. Careful research, open discussions, spectacular shots and a gripping dramaturgy make "More than Honey" a powerful film experience. It is therefore no coincidence that it became the most successful Swiss cinema film of 2012 and the most successful Swiss documentary film and is in the running for an Oscar. TV series have long since caught up with feature films. International productions are now part of the cultural menu across all sections of the population. Their recipe for success: not shying away from the complexity of life, from the weaknesses and strengths of the characters, from human, political and economic dilemmas, from a signature style and surprises. The recipe is that there is no recipe. Standardized and copied formats do not meet these demands. There is only the resolution to be courageous, creative and intelligent.

A Swiss series measures up to these standards. "The Undertaker" ventures into Aargau, plays with the rather dry Swiss-German humor, deliberately uses clichés, gives the camera and set a great deal of freedom - wallpaper will certainly become more popular again. There is a lot of dying, often in a gruesome way. The actors manage the balancing act between tragedy and irony, suppressing tears at the right moment and leaving a cynical remark.

Next week, the industry will once again gather in Solothurn at the Film Days to show the latest productions and meet an open audience. This "Werkschau" is modest. There is no courting of stars or strutting down the red carpet. Hardly anyone who produces their films in Switzerland and finds their audience can avoid Solothurn. The mixture of experiments, debut works and author personalities is the wealth of Swiss filmmaking. Last year, the festival recorded over 60,000 admissions. So they do exist, the film wonders, on a small and large scale!