Emerging Generations of Swiss Animators

From the magic lantern to computer animation, the art of animation has been a longstanding presence in film.

In Switzerland, animation films emerged in the French-speaking part with the works of Claude Luyet, Daniel Suter, Georges Schwizgebel, Bruno Edera, Martial Wannaz, Jean Perrin, Nag, and Gisèle Ansorge. The Swiss Animation Film Association (GSFA) was founded in 1968. The Swiss Federal Office of Culture, which partly finances film productions, initiated support for animated films, influenced in part by the success of early GSFA members showcased in festivals. This recognition enabled them to secure funding and establish a budget before embarking on a film project. During that period, the Solothurn Film Festival presented the entire Swiss production without pre-selection. The Annecy Film Festival in France, established in 1960, has also featured Swiss films. Additionally, animators from other parts of the world, bringing more experience, came to Switzerland to collaborate with their Swiss colleagues, leaving an impact on Swiss animators.

In the early 1970s, aspiring filmmakers faced the challenge of learning animation with limited resources. Studios were established in Geneva, Zurich, Basel, and Ticino, where directors worked on commissioned films. The animation program in Lucerne was founded in 2001, emerging as a significant phenomenon for animation in Switzerland. Since its inception, the school in Lucerne has consistently served as a nurturing ground for creativity, shaping the skills and sensibilities of aspiring animators.

As a co-founder and curator at White Frame, I have had the pleasure of showcasing Swiss student films in our curated film programs. In addition to my responsibilities at White Frame, I also serve as a mentor to film and art students, providing support in promotional planning and distribution for graduates and their films and art projects from the Lucerne School of Art and Design in Switzerland. Over the past decade, I have closely collaborated with the Lucerne animation department, guiding alumni as they transition into the professional realm and navigate their films through the festival circuit. Throughout this journey, I have had the privilege of collaborating with over 120 film teams.

From my front-row seat, I have borne witness to the emergence of Swiss animation talents over the last decade—a privilege and responsibility that I cherish. These experiences have triggered my desire to share with you some interesting films from this generation. Commemorating a decade of collaborative exchanges and experiences, I have decided to merge my two roles, bringing these films to you through our online series. For this special focus, I have selected 11 student titles. While there are many other noteworthy films, some of the more recent ones are still in the early stages of their festival journey and are not yet available for online dissemination.

Animators embody a distinctive blend of creativity, attention to detail, patience, technical skills, drawing and artistic abilities, adaptability, storytelling, observational skills, and problem-solving abilities. They have made valuable contributions to my curatorial quest to discover and showcase engaging films.

Chantal Molleur

Upcoming film program

Signalis
by Adrian Flückiger
Switzerland, 2008, 3 mins 50, no dialogue

Erwin, a weasel, lives in a traffic light. His job is to check and look after the right light, every single day.

Plug and Play
by Michael Frei
Switzerland, 2012, 6 mins, no dialogue

Ruled by fingers, plug-headed figures are being plugged in. But, the fingers are fingering as well. Is it love?

Meteoritenfischen
by Evelyn Buri and Nina Christen
Switzerland, 2013, 5 mins 47, no dialogue

The lighthouse keeper fishes all night long for glowing meteorites to run her lighthouse. Her lonely life ends suddenly, when a parachutist gets caught on her beacon.

Cairo 52 
by Dominique Birrer
Switzerland, 2014, 4 mins 44, no dialogue

On Friday 11th mai 2001, police forces raided a disco on a boat, the Queen Boat and arrested 52 homosexuals. They were convicted of debauchery and put into jail for several years.

Ivan’s Need
by Veronica Lingg, Manuela Leuenberger and Lukas Suter
Switzerland, 2015, 6 mins 20, no dialogue

A baker has an obsession for kneeding dough.

Ruben Leaves
by Frederic Siegel
Switzerland, 2015, 5 mins, English

On his way to work, Ruben is haunted by obsessive-compulsive thoughts; is the front door locked? Is the stove really turned off? As Ruben’s creative mind is invaded by increasingly absurd scenarios, reality and imagination begin to merge.

Bei Wind und Wetter
by Remo Scherrer
Switzerland, 2016, 11 mins 20, German, English and French with English subtitles

Wally’s life is increasingly turned upside down by her mother's alcohol addiction. Helplessness, excessive demands and desperation shape her childhood – a daily struggle for survival.

Ooze
by Kilian Vilim
Switzerland, 2017, 5 mins 29, Swiss-German with English subtitles

A lonely elevator boy gets to the limits of his mind, through the lack of human proximity in his profession.

Elise
by Valentine Moser
Switzerland, 2018, 5 mins 28, French with English subtitles

Elise, who lives in a retirement home, realizes she's losing control of her life: Alzheimer's prevents her from understanding the world and leaves her just a few memories to cling on to. Soon, the presence of her daughter, her last anchor to reality, won't be enough to keep her from diving into her memories.

Concrete
by Aira Joana, Luca Struchen, Nicolas Roth and Pirmin Bieri
Switzerland, 2018, 7 mins 34, no dialogue

Troubled by his own reoccurring transformations, a restless backpacker seeks his place in the world. Through a mysterious encounter in a concrete building in the midst of a barren swampland, he hopes to have finally found such a place.

Tale of the Green Cheese
by Noah Erni
Switzerland, 2020, 4 mins 48, Swiss-German with English subtitles

A farmer lives an idillic life in the swiss alps, until one of his goats gives birth to a kid that looks more like the farmer than a goat. To hide the traces of this bestiality, he makes cheese out of his new born child.

Our third edition (2023)

This third edition of our series is special, as we have chosen to dedicate it to the exploration of four distinct themes. We invite you to stay connected for forthcoming details about each program.

June (22 -29)  2023: Focus: Filmexplorer
October 26th - November 2nd 2023: Focus: Art of Intervention
December (7-14) 2023: Focus: Swiss Animation
February (8-15) 2024: Focus: Ukraine Video Art

On WF Online Series

The "WF Online Series" comprises four curated screening programs per year, each presenting a distinctive curatorial concept showcasing productions from Basel, Switzerland, and various corners of the world. Each program remains accessible for a duration of one week.

Our Funders

This project has been made possible thanks to the financial support of The Mary & Ewald E. Bertschmann-Stiftung, and
The Division of Cultural Affairs Basel-Stadt.