2 October 2026
ZURICH FILM FESTIVAL 2026 (24 September – 4 October)
Once again, I jumped over the Röstigraben this autumn…from Geneva to Zurich, and it’s a delightful and liberating move. Pity that many of my Suisse Romande colleagues don’t attend, due to that cultural chasm between the French and German-speaking parts of this country. Strangely, we ALL attend when the Locarno film fest happens in August, in the height of summer. But then, that’s Ticino…
In its 22nd year, the Zurich fest continues to bring excellent international films and top stars to its roster. It picks and chooses important works from a variety of festivals, but also premieres independent films from around the world.
This year‘s guests receiving career awards were a dazzling array of talents, including actresses Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, Leila Bekhti of France and the young rising Swiss star, Luna Wedler. Also honoured were actors John Turturro, Tom Hiddelston and Andy Garcia; directors Martin McDonagh and Richard Linklater; and film composer Gabriel Yared. They all came with their latest films, ready to converse on the Seventh Art. And they were introduced to the public on the festival’s unusual ´Green’ Carpet in the elegant Bellevue area of this beautiful city, surrounded by three arthouse cinemas and the grand Opera House.
The best part of their attendance are the masterclasses or interviews (called the ZFF Masters—see some of these here) they offer. For me, those are the highlights of any festival – when one gets the chance to hear the thoughts of these creators. The films one can always see later on the screens, but it’s their characters, personalities and personal quirks that come out fully in these conversations.
One of the interviews was with Casey Affleck (younger brother of Ben), moderated by the festival’s CEO and film journalist Christian Jungen. Affleck (“l’m Still Here”, “Oppenheimer”, “Manchester by the Sea”) was relaxed, articulate and open about his journey as an actor, screenwriter and director from his early Boston roots to his career and life in Hollywood. He spoke of his brother Ben and his buddy Matt Damon, and how they had all struggled together, with much luck and slightly different career paths. He felt incredibly honoured to have worked twice with the renowned director Christopher Nolan and to have learned much from him. He also spoke of his sons, who were accompanying him on this trip, and whom he had cast (along with his late mother) in his latest film, COMPANY.
This younger, less famous brother seemed a true ‘Mensch’ – an appreciative family man and accomplished artist in the full sense of the term. Jungen’s incisive questions also helped to bring out Affleck‘s true essence. What a pleasure and revelation that was!
But then for the films – the ones I managed to see were rich with a variety of themes and thoughts that remain.
The best, and possibly the finest film of the year, was BUNKER, by Florian Zeller (“The Father”), starring the amazing duo of Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who are a couple in real life.
It’s about a renowned architect who may be building an underground complex for a tech billionaire. Suffice it to say, the film is a moving, thoughtful masterpiece that covers today’s world with depth and surprises in a most elegant way. More on it when it is released.
The other equally outstanding film, HEIMSUCHUNG, was by Germany’s grand master, Volker Schlöndorff (“The Tin Drum”), still a powerhouse at age 87.
Though it was on a completely different level, it was as deep and important as Zeller’s work, using one house on a peaceful lake as a witness to generations of families who were both present, yet somehow distant observers to Germany’s evolution from the 1930s onwards. A chilling reflection.
There was a fine documentary on the legendary Italian composer NINO ROTA, whose more than 150 scores have enriched the films of Fellini, Visconti, Zeffirelli, Coppola and countless other directors – a necessary tribute to such a talent.
Among other German and Swiss films present at the festival, one of the most delightful and heartwarming was LIEBLINGSMENSCHEN – based on a true story of a relationship between a 102-year-old Berliner woman and a gay Iranian refugee.
The cast and crew were present, including the marvelous Katharina Thalbach and Bardo Böhlefeld as the refugee. One not to miss, if it comes around.
One technical problem was the lack of English subtitles in these films, and often the introductions to the events were only in German. Isn’t this an international festival?
Another documentary, DOLPHINS – MY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, yielded an eye-opening and closer understanding of these charming, intelligent creatures by the Swiss marine biologist, Angela Ziltener.
And the activist Iranian entry by female director Ghasideh Golmakani, HEAD TO HEAD, was a surprising look at a new, at times comedic, possibility concerning the Islamic Republic’s insistence on women’s head coverings…
Unfortunately, I missed the Israeli documentary NAZA, one of the most important and controversial entries at Zurich, after its triumphant opening at Venice. Will review it for next week.
So once again, we see that the art of film is not only to entertain, but to also bring personal and world problems to the fore, affecting our feelings and opinions.
Viva Cinema, its influence and its multiple festivals!
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
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