Schwesterlein

9 novembre > SALA 5 ore 21

Switzerland – 2020 – colore – 99’

CREDITS

Direction: Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond

Screenplay: Stéphanie Chuat, Véronique Reymond

Cinematography: Filip Zumbrunn

Editing: Myriam Rachmuth

Set design: Marie-Claude Lang Brenguier

Music: Christian Garcia-Gaucher

Costumes: Anna Van Brée

Cast: Nina Hoss, Lars Eidinger, Marthe Keller, Jens Albinus, Thomas Ostermeier, Linne-Lu Lungershausen, Noah Tscharland

Producer: Ruth Waldburger

Production: Vega Film in coproduction with RTS, SRG, Arte

World Sales: Beta Cinema

SYNOPSIS

Brilliant playwright, Lisa no longer writes. She lives in Switzerland with her family but her heart has stayed in Berlin, beating to the rhythm of her brother’s heart. The ties between the twins have grown stronger since Sven was diagnosed with an aggressive type of leukemia. He’s a famous theatre actor and Lisa refuses to accept his fate, moving heaven and earth to get him back on stage. She gives her all for her soul mate, neglecting everything else, even risking her marriage. Her relationship with her husband starts to fall apart, but Lisa only has eyes for her brother, her mirror, who connects her back with her deepest aspirations and rekindles her desire to create, to feel alive…

THE DIRECTORS: STÉPHANIE CHUAT AND VÉRONIQUE REYMOND

Stéphanie Chuat and Véronique Reymond have known each other since their childhood. They are accomplished actresses and have performed in numerous theatrical productions. They have created many shows as a stage duo as well, and their first step towards cinema was by including video in their plays. This led them to write and direct four short films. One of them, Berlin Backstage, won a Berlin Today Award (Berlinale 2004). The duo moved on to write and direct their first feature film, The Little Bedroom, starring Michel Bouquet. Premiered at the Locarno Film Festival 2010, the film represented Switzerland at the Oscars and received multiple awards in international festivals. They have explored the documentary field by directing Evening Class for Adults (2005), Buffo, Buten & Howard (2009) and Ladies, a premiered at Visions du Réel and selected by a number of festivals. It was nominated for the Swiss Film Award and has been a box office success in Swiss cinemas.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

“Schwesterlein has a special meaning for us. This film brings together three elements that are central to our lives:the city of Berlin; the theatre, as we are both actresses, and above all, a unique friendship that goes back to our childhood. To write Schwesterlein, we drew inspiration from our own atypical relationship, wherein we sometimes feel more alive when we are creating than in everyday life, like the twins in our movie, always hooked up to their shared imaginary world when they are together. Through our characters’ love of the theatre, our movie recounts in its own way the necessity of dreams as a way of escaping reality. Schwesterlein is also the story of Lisa’s inner journey back to her creativity through the illness of her brother, her alter ego. By reconnecting with writing to beat back the shadows, she brings herself out of the darkness. Through the unbreakable bonds that link these two beings, our film celebrates the fragility and power of life, the strength of transmission, and relates that the end of one life can also be the beginning of another.”

FILMOGRAPHY

2004 Berlin Backstage (short) 

2005 Evening Class for Adults (doc)

2009 Buffo, Buten & Howard (doc)

2010 La petite chambre (The Little Bedroom)

2014 A livre Ouvert (tv series)

2018 Les Dames (doc)

2020 Schwesterlein (My Little Sister)

 AWARDS AND FESTIVALS

2020 Berlin IFF – International Competition 

2020 Athens IFF –  International Competition

2020 European Fim Awards: Nina Hoss nominated as Best Actress

2021 Solothurn FF

2021 Swiss Film Prize: Best Film, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing,  Performance in a Supporting Role (Marthe Keller)