Horst in Translation ([email protected])
"Die Schweizermacher" or "The Swissmakers" is a 105-minute movie from Switzerland and this one came out in 1978, so it will soon have its 40th anniversary. For Swiss people, this is still one of their most known from the 1970s and a bit of a cult film. The writer and director is Rolf Lyssy and it is certainly his most known career effort, even if it is a work from relatively early in his career. And as the Swiss did not make too many films back then that ended up well-known way beyond their borders, it is also among the most known for pretty much all the cast members.The story focuses on the men working inside an immigration agency and their daily challenges when working with immigrants and deciding if they should become Swiss citizens and working with them in order to achieve this natural "swissification". The most memorable character of the film, the grumpy Max Bodmer, is played by late actor Walo Lüönd and the film also is about him opening up to new cultures and influences from abroad the longer it goes. There are no really serious moments in here, so I would say that it is 100% comedy. But it's really not that often funny as it should be for a film of over 100 minutes, plus even as a native German speaker, you should get a good set of subtitles because of the thick Swiss accents. All in all, I don't recommend the watch here and I cannot share the praise this film has been receiving to this day. Very overrated in my opinion, it hasn't aged too well.
wbybn
I'm a non-Switzy who lives in Switzerland (although not for very long yet), and I am uncertain about what this country is really like. Of course there are all the stereotypes about cleanliness and orderliness and blind adherence to the rules, but then there is the daily reality of what I see here (which isn't as neurotic as you would imagine). I really enjoyed Die Schweizermacher. It was funny and interesting and the characters were likable (except Bodmer, of course, who was so endearingly and reliably unlikeable). The man shooting pigeons and Bodmer going home every night to eat the dinner made by his mother were simple and inconspicuous ironies, and the friendly nature of the other cop (whose name I've forgotten) was a pleasing contrast. I can't help but believe, though, that it was all based in a murky and xenophobic truth about Switzies and that secretly nothing has changed. Aah the Swiss. They're so strange.
Ilde
This Film is very funny, it presents all the good and bad things of Switzerland: banks, watches, kindness, be neutral, be a bit closed minded and with a great attaccement to the traditions. The Story is very simple, we follow 2 people that must decide if some stranger can get the Swiss nationality. Full of amusing situation, with a strange love story, and full of "clichées" about swiss, italian, german,... people that can always bring a smile on the audience. It's the most popular Swiss film ever made, with about 1 Million visitors, it's a little number for the world movies, but very big for our country. Very amusing for all who knows a bit of the european culture or Switzerland
