Peter Hottinger

So Far So Good

On a hot summer day four groups sweat without realizing that the world is slowly ending.

Nachtexpress

The episodic film tells the stories and experiences of different people in the city of Zurich on a Friday night. People who don't know each other meet at six different locations. Two young unemployed men want to rob a bar, Swiss and Germans play cards at a regulars' table, a Zurich scene-goer tries to overcome his inability to form relationships with the help of a psychologist, and a banker cheats on his wife. Characters who are initially characterized as clichés gradually gain depth and become human. "Nachtexpress" shows encounters that could happen every night in Swiss cities. People get together to drink, talk, argue, and love. "Nachtexpress" is a socially critical comedy—a folk play that deals with current issues such as latent racism, love, and inconsistency.

The Newt Congress

For years now, giant talking newts have been used both for their labor and as laboratory animals. The Newt Congress takes place at a conference building surrounded by nature where participants have come together to optimize the exploitation of the animals. The short film is a free adaptation of Karel Čapek‘s War with the Newts.

Yori

A Korean restaurant in Switzerland. The restaurant owner is sick and the chef in the kitchen is serving a single customer. A Korean chef who doesn't speak German. Misunderstandings arise due to lack of language.

Retreat

In a hidden corner of the Swiss Alps, a man and his son, Benny, enjoy a vacation away from the distractions of modern life. After several days of connecting with nature and learning the trade of self-sufficiency, Benny understands that the holidays are extended for no reason and that his father has no intention of returning him to his mother, much less to civilization.

The Universal Theory

Johannes, a doctor of physics, travels with his doctoral supervisor to a scientific congress in the Alps. A series of mysterious incidents occur on site. He meets Karin, a mysterious jazz pianist who seems to know more about him than she can know. Suddenly, mysterious deaths begin to pile up and Johannes tries to uncover the secret under the mountain.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander. As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.

Periphery

August 1st in Zurich. An unbearably hot day. While many are celebrating the Swiss national holiday, five individual fates take their course: 1. As a symbol against capitalism in Switzerland, Vinc is planning an attack in the city centre. 2. Tibetan descendent Sonam is struggling to settle into her new job as a police officer – worse still, she makes a major mistake during her first operation. 3. Hunter Edi’s status quo is unbalanced when a financial predicament puts his morals to the test. 4. Young Ukrainian Sonja arrives in Zurich full of hope to surprise the love of her life – but she is in for an even bigger surprise. 5. Chilean Javier no longer feels at home in Switzerland and decides to return – with his daughter, but without her mother’s knowledge – to his motherland.

Der Hamster

Fitness training, diet, extreme sports: Toni Faller fights the hamster wheel of everyday life and the mid-life crisis. His wife Marianne and daughter Daniela watch the changes with mistrust. They soon feel like they do not know him anymore, while Toni gets more and more confident. It's only a matter of time before it pops.

Will You Marry Us?

Rahel Hubli is employed as a civil registrar. She hasn't believed in the so-called "love of her life" in ages. But when a childhood friend, Ben, suddenly turns up, Rahel recalls again what it felt like to be in love. And that leads to even more problems, because Rahel is already married. And Ben would like to get married: by Rahel

Mr. Moll and the Chocolate Factory

A weekend alone at home with the children - and already breaks out of the mess with Papa minor. For while Moll pushes overtime in the chocolate factory, between his children and the offspring of his boss a merciless battle breaks out: for cotton candy, homework - and the most famous circus dog in the world.

United Passions

An epic, untold story that brings to life the inspiring saga of the World Cup and the three determined men who created it. Driven by their vision and passion, three men, overcame their doubts and fought obstacles and scandals to make the World Cup a reality. Spanning the tumultuous 20th Century, this timeless saga celebrates the event that became the most popular sporting event in the world.

Caught out

Replace by a robot and in a money-ridden and digitised world, an unemployed factory worker tries to get closer to his beloved before the events of the modern future are upon him.

Comrade Anna

Anna, the child of Swiss-Korean parents, is torn between her culture and identity. When a strange North Korean man magically appears in her wardrobe, she not only learns more about herself, but also develops a precious friendship.

Hidden Away

The film tackles the life journey of Toni Ligabue, visionary naïf painter who used to draw tigers, lions and jaguars while living among the poplar trees of the boundless Po valley. A harsh life that is a fairy tale too, as a lonely and marginalized kid finds redemption in his art, and a way to express himself and be admired by the world.

Ingeborg Bachmann – Journey into the Desert

When Ingeborg Bachmann and Max Frisch meet for the first time in Paris in the summer of 1958, they are already international celebrities of the literary world. In the four years that follow, they dabble in great love and an open relationship between his hometown of Zurich and her adopted Rome.

Frieda's Case

Chronicles the fate of Frieda Keller, a young seamstress in St. Gallen who, in 1904, is accused of murdering her 5-year-old son Ernstli.