Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps

East Coast Premiere

Switzerland, 2010, color, 110 mins., Swiss-German with English subtitles
Director: Michael Steiner Screenplay: Michael Sauter, Michael Steiner, Stephanie Japp Producers: Bernhard Burgener, John Lueftner, Hans G. Syz, This Brunner, Simone Häberling Cast: Roxanne Mesquida, Nicholas Ofczarek, Andrea Zogg, Carlos Leal, Joel Basman, Ueli Jäggi Sales: Constantin Film Schweiz

Reception with Swiss treats between the two screenings.

In a remote mountain village in the spectacular Swiss Alps, the town’s lone policeman, Sebastian Reusch (Nicolas Ofczarek), has things under control. But when the sudden and mysterious appearance in 1975 of a beautiful mute woman (Roxane Mesquida) coincides with the hanging death of a priest, the townspeople turn hostile. It is up to Reusch to discover if she’s the living embodiment of a demonic tradition amongst lonely herdsmen. Part police procedural, part supernatural thriller and all white knuckle shocker, Sennentuntschi was shot by co-writer and director Michael Steiner in 2008, but the loss of funding prior to post-production delayed completion until 2010—when it opened the Zurich Film Festival and was subsequently released by the Swiss branch of Disney to strong local interest. Steiner’s skill with genre elements marks him a director to watch.—Eddie Cockrell

Michael Steiner (b: 1969, Hergiswil, Switzerland) studied ethnology, art history and film at the University of Zurich. He has worked as a journalist, press photographer and commercial director. His films include My Name is Eugen (2005), Grounding: The Last Days of Swissair (2006) and the TV series Stunthero (2010).