This section presents programmes on topics that our curators are passionate about or that are simply fun.
From the many forms of disco to all-too-topical, AI-powered future scenarios, from historical films that have lost none of their relevance to a trilogy by last year’s winner of the Promotional Award, Samuel Suffren: our special programmes hold many discoveries.
Useful Image(s) –Konstruktion nationaler Identität in Schweizer GebrauchsfilmenAs instruments of education, promotion, and self-portrayal, commissioned films substantially shaped Switzerland’s image, especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bearing witness to the history of Swiss mentality, the films presented here show how – at the behest of business and political interests – the genre painted a picture of a nation that still sees itself as neutral, while also being thoroughly embedded in global structures. Corporate films – such as those about the Zurich stock exchange or Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon – portrayed Switzerland as a modern, international business hub and told a success story, albeit one based on colonial entanglements and social exploitation that remained invisible in the films. In hindsight, these works reveal a lot about Switzerland’s supposedly neutral self-image. Their narratives remain influential today, for instance in the portrayal of Switzerland as a stable, reliable business partner or in debates about our international responsibility with regard to migration, climate justice, and global power relations.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Monika Dommann and other guests.