27/05/2014 - CANNES 2014: The Wonders by Alice Rohrwacher, co-produced by Ticino-based Amka Films, and Goodbye to Language by Jean-Luc Godard make Swiss cinema shine on the Croisette

The 67^th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will definitely be one to remember for the Swiss cinema industry. Not only did the Croisette welcome four partly Swiss films: two co-productions, one short, and one by the legendary “enfant terrible” of the Nouvelle Vague Jean-Luc Godard, but two of these won some of the festival’s most prestigious prizes.

The Grand Prix, considered by many to be the second best prize, went to Italian director Alice Rohrwacher who with her second feature film The Wonders [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
interview: Tiziana Soudani
film profile] managed to conquer audiences - who gave her 12 minutes of applause. The film is an Italian German Swiss co-production, which once more (just like her first film Heavenly Body [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Alice Rohrwacher
film profile]) saw the participation of Amka Films and Ticino producer Tiziana Soudani. The latter said after hearing the news: “I am very happy and proud that Switzerland is a part of this success! It is a marvellous sign for the future of productions coming out of Switzerland.” 

The pride felt by Tiziana Soudani is justified: it is the first time a film in which Switzerland has taken part has won one of the most prestigious Cannes prizes.

Even if, in the case of Alice Rohrwacher’s debut, Heavenly Body, also presented in Cannes (2011) at Directors’ Fortnight, was already a Swiss co-production, Swiss presence is even greater with The Wonders - with not only the participation of Amka Films, but also the participation of RSI (Italian Swiss radio-television network) and the support of the federal culture office. The Wonders also has a bit of Swiss visually featured in the film. Standing next to Alba Rohrwacher (Alice’s sister) and Monica Bellucci, is Bern native actress Sabine Timoteo (Bronze Leopard in Locarno for best actress in 2000 for L’Amour by Philip Gröning, and recipient of two Swiss cinema awards).

The young Tuscan director surprised many by becoming one of the most interesting phenomena on the Italian cinema landscape. A breath of fresh air – multicultural, wild and mysterious, even if not always welcome. Her varied cultural baggage, Latin roots, modern and cold gaze take us into a world without borders.

The second award among the most prestigious in Cannes – the jury one – was given jointly to French Swiss Jean-Luc Godard and his Goodbye to Language [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Mommy by Canadian Xavier Dolan.

This year’s edition – from a Swiss perspective – was one of the most satisfying yet. 

(Translated from Italian)