HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US. It may sound unlikely, but the filmstelle has actually been around for 100 years. So there has been a student cinema in Zurich for a whole century. Of course, the way in which we do this has constantly changed. From science films to projections in lectures to today’s art house cinema, the history of the Filmstelle is a long and eventful one. But this story needs to be really celebrated this year. To ring in this festive year we have come up with something wonderful; One week filmstelle. Exactly, from January 26th to March 1st, i.e. in the second week of lectures, there will be a film not only on Tuesdays, but every evening. For this week, we’re leaving out our otherwise very strict concept of the thematic unity of a cycle and simply celebrating the favorites of the entire film department for a week. Because instead of a long and hard-fought process within the program group, all of our members voted here and we have to give ourselves a little pat on the back because the program couldn’t have been more balanced, even with months of planning. The absurd comedy classic Monty Python and the holy grail opens the festival, so there is a good atmosphere at the beginning of the week. But a silent film Sunrise: A song of two Humans also made it through the voting process, allowing us to present a film that is almost as old as we are (but only almost). On Wednesday things get romantically tragic with In the Mood for Love. This modern classic shouldn’t leave anyone cold. Things get more playful on the fourth day, when an animated film also made it into our program. This is called La planète sauvage and impresses with its unique appearance, which still impresses today. At the end it will be wonderfully epic again, because on Friday we will show you Sergio Leone’s masterpiece The good, the bad and the ugly. One of the most famous and influential westerns of all time, which is also an absolute must for every non-western fan.
You see, I didn’t promise you too much in terms of variety and quality. So there should be something for everyone. But that shouldn’t be the end of this birthday celebration. We don’t want to reveal too much yet, but be sure to keep your eyes open for further updates.
This brings us to an important update. This year we are moving the times forward a little. This means that the films don’t start at 8 p.m. this semester, but at 7:30 p.m. The door opening has therefore been postponed to 7 p.m. So you can come earlier to grab the best seats and enjoy a meal at the bar. This adjustment applies to both our latest cycle and the festival. But be careful on Friday, because we open at 7 p.m. and, like in the last two semesters, we will treat you to hot pasta in collaboration.
As you can see, there is an exciting new year ahead at the filmstelle and we can hardly wait to celebrate it with you. So this time all I have to say is;
Until the festival at the Filmstelle – cinema always different.
Jérôme Bewersdorff, Co-Presidium.