“Bisons” is nominated six times for the Swiss Film Award
Published: Tuesday, Jan 23rd 2024, 21:50
Updated At: Wednesday, Jan 24th 2024, 00:59
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The film "Bisons" by Pierre Monnard ("Platzspitzbaby") has been nominated six times for the Swiss Film Prize. This was announced by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) on Tuesday evening as part of the "Night of Nominations" at the 59th Solothurn Film Festival.
The feature film by the Freiburg director can hope to win a Quartz in the categories Best Feature Film, twice in the Best Actor category, Best Film Music, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. The film tells the story of a farmer's son who tries to save his parents' farm by fighting illegally.
Two films received four nominations and therefore also have several chances of winning on March 22. "Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry" by Elene Naveriani is competing in the categories Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Sound. The Swiss-Georgian co-production is about a 48-year-old woman who suddenly falls passionately in love and has to choose between the relationship or her independent life.
"Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry" has already won several awards, for example at the Sarajevo Film Festival, and the lead actress Eka Chavleishvili was nominated for Best Actress at the European Film Awards.
"La voie royale" with four chances to win
"La voie royale" by Valais director Frédéric Mermoud can hope to win a Quartz in the categories Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, Best Performance in a Supporting Role and Best Editing. The film tells the story of a brilliant schoolgirl who suddenly moves from a farm to a class where the country's future elites are educated and now has to find her place.
Also nominated for Best Feature Film are "L'Amour du Monde" by Jenna Hasse, which has already won the Zurich Film Prize 2023, and "Laissez-moi" by Maxime Rappaz, which has won several international awards.
The topic of asylum is represented twice in the Best Documentary Film category. "The Hearing" by Lisa Gerig uses four people to show how an asylum hearing takes place and what it feels like. Mehdi Sahebi's documentary "Prisoners of Fate" shows people who are still in the asylum process and how they deal with the uncertainty.
The films "Las Toreras" by Jackie Brutsche, which won two prizes at the Zurich Film Festival, "The Driven Ones" by Piet Baumgartner and "While the Green Grass Grows" by Peter Mettler also have a chance of winning a trophy. Mettler's latest work has already won several prizes, for example at Dok Leipzig.
Several double nominations
This year, there are several films that have been nominated more than once. The film "The Neighbors from Above" by Sabine Boss comes up trumps with two Quartz chances for its actresses. Ursina Lardi is nominated in the Best Actress category, Sarah Spale in the Best Performance in a Supporting Role category.
Lardi from Graubünden already won a Quartz for Best Actress in 2014. Together with her, Julia Jentsch ("8 Days in August") and Ella Rumpf ("Le Théorème de Marguerite") can hope to win the award for Best Actress. Together with Spale, Roland Vouilloz ("Vous n'êtes pas Ivan Gallatin") and Maud Wyler ("La voie royale") are nominated in the Best Performance in a Supporting Role category. In 2021, Spale won the award for Best Actress for her performance in "Platzspitzbaby".
Antonio Buíl is also nominated for his performance in "Vous n'êtes pas Ivan Gallatin". Buíl has a chance of winning Best Actor, as do the "Bisons" actors Karim Barras and newcomer Maxime Valvini.
Secure award for composer
Composer Nicolas Rabaeus is sure to take home a Quartz. He is the only nominee in the Best Film Music category. His background music for the films "Rivière", "Bisons" and "The Land Within" is nominated. This is probably the first time he has been nominated three times, said the presenter at the event.
The film "Rivière" was also nominated for Best Cinematography. "Rivier" cinematographer Joseph Areddy also has a better chance. His work in "Bisons" could also earn him a Quartz. Patrick Tresch also has a chance of winning an award for his camera work in "2G".
Around 400 guests attended the "Night of Nominations". In her speech, Carine Bachmann, Director of the Federal Office of Culture, praised the diversity of Swiss film and, with a view to the new heads of the Film Section at the BAK, Nadine Adler Spiegel and Laurent Steiert, emphasized the importance of film funding - and its changeability.
It is striking that all the feature films come from French-speaking Switzerland, as the BAK noted. On the other hand, all the nominated documentaries come from German-speaking Switzerland.
The Swiss Film Awards ceremony will take place in Zurich on March 22. The event alternates between Geneva and Zurich.
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