Heimatland

10 young Swiss filmmakers have made a film together about the state of their own country. The feature film Wonderland, which is also shown in the Competition of the festival this year, is thus also a fitting start for this year’s section CINEMA NEXT EUROPE, which explores the state of Europe from the multifaceted perspective of young filmmakers. In Wonderland Switzerland is threatened by a violent and apocalyptic storm cloud. What happens to the country, when anger from above breaks out on this apparent paradise, this island in the midst of Europe, this small wonderland? The film poster for Wonderland already anticipates an answer: “La Suisse n’existe plus” is written above the film title. Switzerland no longer exists. This raises the question: What was it before? Wonderland is a cinematic experiment carried out by a young generation on their own lives, their own feelings, in the country that is supposed to be their homeland. (Dominik Tschütscher)