Once Upon a Time…Switzerland

A special program by Massimiliano Maltoni


svizzera03In collaboration with Cinémathèque Suisse and the Swiss Consulate in Venice, Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival presents Once Upon a Time… Switzerland, a special programme organised by Massimiliano Maltoni to discover the origins of Swiss cinema.

Once Upon a Time… Switzerland shows the everyday routine of cities like Geneva, Lausanne and Zürich, along with great events such as the 1896 National Exposition. Not only did cameras record big cities, but also natural wonders, such as the Rhine Falls and folkloristic festivals which counterbalance the equally magnificent images of Frauenfeld’s metallurgic factories. The Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks‘ visit to Geneva provides the glamour of the roaring twenties. It is a dreamy portrayal of the world of Hollywood, so far from the reality of a country like Switzerland, where the cinema industry struggled to arise. William Tell, the Swiss hero par excellence, is the protagonist of a curious “cinematographic riddle” of the beginning of last century, while another film shows a fashion show. It is hand-painted with soft colours and tries to make the public forget the atrocities of the Great War that devastated Europe during the spring of 1918. Finally, an original cartoon of an advertisement shows the secret to happiness.

 

A SELECTION FROM THE SCREENING PROGRAM:

Les bains de la Jetée Des Pâquis, Casimir Sivan, 1896, 1’, Switzerland
Excerpt for Geneve National Exposition, Alexander Promio, 1896, 3’, France
Excerpt, Losanna, Fall 1896,
1896, 1’, Switzerland
View from the Bridge over the Rhine in Basel, 1896, 1’, Switzerland
Grape harvest Festival in Vevey, 1905, 2’, Switzerland
Wilhelm Tell, 1910, 2’, Switzerland
Excerpt, Rhine Falls, 1912, 2’, Switzerland
Excerpt, Metallurgic Factory in Frauenfeld, 1912, 7’, Switzerland
La Suisse inconnue. La Vallé de Loetschenthal, Frederick Burlingham, 1916, 7’, Switzerland
Excerpt, Spring Fashion Show, unknown, 1918, 1’, Switzerland
Un repos mérité. Mary Pickford et Douglas Fairbanks sont venue en Suisse, 1924, 2’, Switzerland
Let room for progress – The last mail car of Kiental, 1925, 3’, Switzerland
The cameraman of the Swiss newsreel in action, 1925, 2’, Switzerland
Pour Être Heureux, 1928, 5’, Switzerland
Eisenstein en Suisse, 1929, 1’, Switzerland

Special thanks to:Swiss Consulate in Venice and Cinémathèque Suisse.

Related Works.

Loading

Hiroshi Takahashi Masterclass

Hiroshi Takahashi Masterclass

Ektesabat-e etnesab – Ascribed Achievements

Ektesabat-e etnesab – Ascribed Achievements

Gamlet. Komediya – Hamlet Comedy

Gamlet. Komediya – Hamlet Comedy

Visitor

Visitor

Enzo

Enzo

Feed

Feed

Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni: Shoot A Short!

Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni: Shoot A Short!

Volumina

Volumina

Dong – Freeze

Dong – Freeze

Under the surface you are never alone

Under the surface you are never alone

Waseda students

Waseda students

Young Filmmakers at Ca’ Foscari

Young Filmmakers at Ca’ Foscari

The Suspanded Glance

The Suspanded Glance

Sicela Amanzi – Water, please

Sicela Amanzi – Water, please

El sueño espacial – The Space Dream

El sueño espacial – The Space Dream

Next

Next

Jàma – The Pit

Jàma – The Pit

Hunting Day

Hunting Day

Claire

Claire

Nè leggere nè scrivere – Neither read nor write

Nè leggere nè scrivere – Neither read nor write

Amygdala

Amygdala

Ching Ai De To Chi – My Dear Dorje

Ching Ai De To Chi – My Dear Dorje

Mooi Missi – Beautiful Woman

Mooi Missi – Beautiful Woman

Dead End

Dead End

Śledztwo – The Inquest

Śledztwo – The Inquest

Desire on the move

Desire on the move

Petrel

Petrel

Goldfische

Goldfische

La rabia de Clara – Clara’s Rage

La rabia de Clara – Clara’s Rage

Anymation

Anymation

The World of Iimen Masako

The World of Iimen Masako

Madrid en corto

Madrid en corto

The World of Giorgio Carpinteri

The World of Giorgio Carpinteri

Videocontest ‘Francesco Pasinetti’

Videocontest ‘Francesco Pasinetti’

Na neun bo akda – I Saw it

Na neun bo akda – I Saw it

Operatsiya ‘Zhe’ – Show ‘Zhe’

Operatsiya ‘Zhe’ – Show ‘Zhe’

Thankamma

Thankamma

Sightseeing

Sightseeing

SELFIEsh

SELFIEsh

Quindici19

Quindici19

Music Video Competition

Music Video Competition

Prometheus

Prometheus

Convergence

Convergence

A Long Travel

A Long Travel

Sanyog – Coincidence

Sanyog – Coincidence

Konstruktor

Konstruktor

Nocebo

Nocebo

Video-oke!

Video-oke!

“Olga Brunner Levi” Prize

“Olga Brunner Levi” Prize
Loading