Switzerland: Last News

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentTo the exuberant tones of Christophe’s “Aline,” lamenting the loss of his love, two shirtless men rejoice orgiastically as water tumbling down a rock face drenching their bodies. Meanwhile, at a country house, maids and a gardener, dressed in period costume, proudly pour what looks like a mixture of water and milk onto plants.The scenes, it seems, are from a libertine costume drama, being shot in the wooded French countryside. Then suddenly Valentin, the director, disappears.

Holly Jones Paris-based sales company Alief has swooped on international sales rights to horror-political thriller “Matadero” (“Slaughterhouse”), the awaited fiction feature debut of Argentina’s Santiago Fillol, co-scribe on Oliver Laxe’s Cannes winners “Mimosa” and “Fire Will Come.”Co-written by Fillol, “Matadero” world premieres this week in Locarno’s main International Competition.The film takes a stark look at a historic tale through the maniacal lens of U.S. filmmaker Jared (Julio Perillán), as he shoots a big-screen version of a 19th-century text by Argentine writer Estaban Echeverría, exploiting the times and their trappings to create a piece of cinema meant to dig itself into the collective consciousness.

Latest DealsA score or more of new deals announced since Sunday in exclusivity to Variety:*Germany’s Pluto Film has been in negotiations with several theatrical distributors on Locarno Piazza Grande title “Semret,” ahead of its world premiere on Aug. 10.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorIn the mesmerizing and strangely beautiful documentary “Matter Out of Place,” which world premieres in International Competition at the Locarno Film Festival on Wednesday, Austrian director Nikolaus Geyrhalter looks at how we dispose of our trash. But, taking a broader view, he is trying to gain a better understanding of mankind, and the impact it is having on the planet, he tells Variety.The locations for the film are wide ranging: it moves from the mountains of Switzerland to the coasts of Greece and Albania, to an Austrian refuse incinerator, and then to Nepal and the Maldives, and finally to the deserts of Nevada for the Burning Man event.When choosing locations, sound was as much of a consideration as the images.

season 17 has reached the live rounds, and the performances are bigger and better than ever!After over two months of audition episodes, the best of the best returned to face the judges once again, this time at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, for the first night of the season's live qualifying rounds.This meant the pressure to deliver in a big way was even higher than before, and some of the night's hopefuls truly brought their A-game in the hopes of impressing the judges and, more importantly, viewers at home who will be voting on who makes it through to the next stage in the competition.From acrobatic groups to vocal powerhouses to surreal contortionists, here's a look at the acts that stood out from the crowd on Monday with truly impressive performances.This Guinea-based circus group delivers some of the most jaw-dropping acrobatic feats of the season, and they kicked the night off on a high note, performing an epic routine set to «Zapata» by Lil Saako Instinct Killers. The performance set the bar high for the acts to follow, and absolutely wowed the judges.«There's nothing to say but good job, guys!» Sofia Vergara marveled. «I couldn't think you guys could get better, because I loved you so much, but this was another level.»  This young singer's voice is more than impressive enough to earn her a place in the live rounds, but her inspiring and emotional story makes her performance all the more powerful.

Spilling secrets! Aaron Taylor-Johnson couldn’t help but gush over working with Brad Pitt on the new film Bullet Train — and he’s hoping to avoid making the actor’s “s–t list.”

The ball trickled towards goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and the world seemed to enter slow motion.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson sang co-star Brad Pitt's praises during an interview with at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland earlier this month, he also revealed you don't want to make a bad impression on the 58-year-old actor if you hope to work with him again in the future.Taylor-Johnson described Pitt as a «humble and gracious human being,» and believes he expects the same qualities from co-stars.«He is in a new chapter of his life, I think,” he told the publication. „He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s European operation continues to take shape, with Hannes Heyelmann today unveiling his German management team. The shake-up sees the departure of Discovery Communications Deutschland Deputy Managing Director Alberto Horta.

Marta Balaga Italy’s Satine Film has picked up Julie Lerat-Gersant’s Locarno Film Festival title “Little Ones” about teen pregnancy, Variety has learned in Locarno. In the past, the company has also released such titles as “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and Golden Bear winner “There Is No Evil.”“We aim to discover and introduce visionary and courageous cinematographic voices from all over the world,” said Claudia Bedogni, Satine Film’s founder and managing director.“The film struck me with its gentle but secure narration and captivating, emotional performances.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentInspired by director Marcel Beltrán’s walking on a dry, polluted lake in his hometown, Moa, in Cuba, “Moa” won the biggest prize on offer at this year’s Open Doors, a Locarno Fest co-production and talent hub dedicated, in an inspired choice, to smaller territories in Latin American and countries in the Caribbean. The focus lasts three-years, over 2022-24.The territories boast world class filmmakers with urgent stories to tell.

JD Linville Zurich native Caterina Mona will bring her directorial debut “Semret” to the 75th Locarno Film Festival where it screens at the city’s Piazza Grande, an outdoor venue traditionally reserved for more popular plays. The film, which is being sold by German sales outfit Pluto Film, follows the difficult path to healing for the titular character of Semret: a reclusive immigrant mother from Eritrea, now living and working in Zurich.

EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based company Indie Sales has sold Angry Annie, French director Blandine Lenoir’s latest feature, to a host of key territories ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on Thursday.

Brad Pitt keeps a list of actors he will not work with — or so says his “Bullet Train” co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is sharing his experience working with Brad Pitt on the set of the new movie ‘Bullet Train,’ revealing that the Hollywood star has a list of actors he prefers not to work with.The stars of the film are currently going on a series of interviews promoting the movie, with Aaron attending Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. Aaron was asked about how he felt working with Brad, describing him as a “humble and gracious human being.”“He just wants to bring light and joy into the world and be around people who are there to have a good time,” Aaron explained, admitting that after working with many actors, it gets easier to know who is a better match while working on a project.“You work with many actors and after a while, you start making notes: ‘I am definitely not working with this person ever again.’ Brad has this list too: the ‘good’ list and the ‘s–t’ list,” the actor said.Aaron also shared his experience filming a fighting scene with Brad, revealing that he suffered major injuries, as he implemented a “crazy mad Keto diet” to achieve a “scrawny and lean” look for the film, which resulted in “low blood sugar levels.”“We were in a fight sequence and I get drop-kicked across the room.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAmazon Prime Video’s Italian original series “Prisma,” which launches on Aug. 10 from the Locarno Film Festival, sees the streamer revisit the theme of gender identity fluidity after “Transparent” while catering to a young adult audience and also connecting with Italy’s neorealist roots.The eight-episode show (watch exclusive clip) – which marks the first TV series to premiere at the prominent Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema – is centered around identical adolescent twins Marco and Andrea, who challenge gender norms in different ways, along with their group of friends who are also going through a similar journey.“Prisma” is set in the city of Latina, just south of Rome, and its surrounding area, which used to be a swamp until the land was drained under Fascist rule.

Switzerland has selected Michael Koch’s Swiss-German language feature A Piece Of Sky as its candidate for the best international film category of the 2023 Oscars.

The Duchess of York has been bitterly attacked for splashing out on a £5m house in Mayfair by a French Millionaire who has been in a long-running financial dispute with the royal.

Lukas Nathrath’s One Last Evening Wins Locarno Pro’s First Look Prize

Beyoncé’s just-released seventh album, ‘Renaissance’, has topped the Billboard 200 chart in the US, continuing her unbroken streak of albums debuting at Number One.All seven of the artist’s studio albums have peaked in the top spot, however, the release of ‘Renaissance’ is notably significant in that it’s already become Bey’s highest-charting album in every major market. In addition to the US, it’s debuted at Number One in the UK, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. It’s likely to top the Canadian chart as well, however data for that is yet to be released.‘Renaissance’ also came in at Number Two in Germany, beating her last album, 2016’s ‘Lemonade’, by one place.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentLukas Nathrath’s “One Last Evening,” an often excruciating tragedy-laced dramedy set around a couple’s farewell dinner for friends, won big at Locarno’s First Look on Sunday, scooping the Cinegrell First Look Award.The award consists in €50,000 ($51,000) in post-production services from Cinegrell, a Switzerland and Germany based services house.The biggest prize at this year’s Locarno Pro First Look, a pix-in-post showcase dedicated six new movies from Germany, went to a first feature which delivers a scathing portrait of a success-obsessed society whose members mostly don’t live up to their promise, especially in their own estimation. Sebastian Jakob Doppelbauer plays Clemens, a once budding singer-songwriter but now pitied depressive whose girlfriend is now shaping up as the partner with a future as an on-the-rise doctor. Clemens in contrast doesn’t do shit.  Starting off afresh, moving from Hanover to Berlin, the couple stage a farewell dinner that spirals out of control, uncovering hidden fears, secret longings and life-lies.After the pandemic, our feeling was ‘Let’s shoot something this summer,’” Nasrath told Variety. Nasrath, Doppelbauer and fellow producer Linus Günther at Klinkerfilm reached out to film funds, to no avail, but weren’t too unhappy about making the film on a shoestring since that way “no one would interfere,” they said after Sunday night’s awards ceremony. “We were hugely impressed by ‘One Last Evening,’ finding its storytelling rich and nuanced. The film took us on a real emotional journey and the strong ensemble cast contributed to wonderfully detailed characterisations,” said the First Look jury.