Switzerland 2016 (Family)
Festivals (selection): Schaffhausen 2016, Solothurn 2016
Director: Stefan Jäger
Screenplay: Theo Plakoudakis, Marco Salituro
Cinematography: Knut Schmitz
Editor: Robin Wenger
Music: Angelo Berardi
With: Mathias Gnädinger, Loic Sho Güntensperger, Mitsuko Baisho, Tomio Suga, Hanspeter Müller-Drossaart, Sonja Riesen, Monica Gubser
Producers: Katrin Renz, Stefan Jäger
Duration: 98 mins
Language: Swiss-German with English subtitles
Rating: M - offensive language & sexual references
Toni Sommer (68) used to be the most popular and successful "Schwinger" of his time in Switzerland's traditional wrestling sport, but since the fatal accident of his opponent and best friend, he's been living anonymously and lonely in a suburb of Bern. His energy and his zest for life have left him, and the only friend he has is the grave of his former opponent. Hiro, a 10-year-old boy, disturbs Sommer's reclusiveness. He lives with his grandma one floor above Sommer's flat. Hiro wants only one thing - to become a great sumotori, a sumo wrestler. When his grandma dies unexpectedly, Hiro pleads the grumpy Sommer to take him to a sumo stall in his home country, Japan. And so a journey starts from Bern to Tokyo and across Japan. The film tells - in a humorous and touching way - the story of a struggle between two unequal and vastly different characters and how they finally develop a deep friendship.
Text: Tellfilm
Screened in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland, Wellington.
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