Zurich-based company Hugofilm – who came to attention with Fredi M. Murer’s successful film Vitus [trailer, film focus] – are joining forces with German partners Wüste Film West (Cologne) and Constantin Film (Munich) to produce a feature based on Andrea Maria Schenkel’s novel The Murder Farm.
The film will be directed by young Swiss filmmaker Bettina Oberli who, after receiving acclaim for North Wind (2004), enjoyed domestic box office success (595,102 admissions) with the comedy Late Bloomers [trailer] (2006).

Oberli co-wrote the adaptation of The Murder Farm with Petra Lüschow, who scripted Stina Werenfels’ Going Private and is reunited here with her loyal DoP Stéphane Kuthy. The title will star well-known theatre and television actress Monica Bleibtreu (64) and emerging German actress Julia Jentsch (30).

Shooting will take place from September-November in the Sauerland and Eiffel regions in North Rhine-Westphalia. The film will be made on a budget of €3.8m, co-produced by German television (Schweizer Fernsehen), with backing from the Federal Office for Culture and Zurich Film Foundation.