Several Swiss filmmakers are choosing to shoot films in English, or with significant English dialogue, to broaden their potential audience and improve financing opportunities. Director Tim Fehlbaum, known for “September 5,” is preparing a historical film set in Berlin that will utilize both German and English. Other Swiss directors, including Ursula Meier and Michael Koch, are also embracing English-language projects.
At the Venice Production Bridge, Fehlbaum, Meier, and Koch discussed the growing trend of incorporating English into Swiss cinema. Fehlbaum revealed his next project, a historical film set in Germany, will be shot in both German and English because “it also has an American perspective on it.” He explained that incorporating English dialogue can simplify financing, stating, “By changing one character to a person who doesn’t understand German, you suddenly have much more English, and it’s much easier to finance.”
Ursula Meier is currently in pre-production on “Quiet Land,” an English-language film set in Montana but filmed in Alberta. The film will star Bill Murray and Léa Seydoux. Meier stated that shooting in English allows her to “tell a bigger story,” as “everything in the U.S. is bigger.” She also described the challenge of writing the script, which originated in French and was then translated, emphasizing a close adherence to the translation process. Meier previously worked with Gillian Anderson on “Sisters” and appreciates the physicality American actors bring to their roles.
Michael Koch recently finished “Erosion,” featuring Peter Sarsgaard, after collaborating with Fehlbaum on “September 5.” Koch emphasized that his choice to work with an English-speaking actor was a “creative choice” and integral to the film’s concept, which observes the dynamic between a foreigner and Swiss farmers.
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