The Swissmakers (1978)

Foreigners who apply to become Swiss citizens have no easy task - especially when the police lets Bodmer loose to check upon their background, their integration in the society, and the ... See full summary »

Director:

Rolf Lyssy

Writers:

Rolf Lyssy, Christa Maerker

Stars:

Emil Steinberger, Walo Lüönd, Beatrice Kessler

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Emil Steinberger	...	Moritz Fischer
Walo Lüönd	...	Max Bodmer
Beatrice Kessler	...	Milena Vakulic
Wolfgang Stendar	...	Dr. Helmut Starke
Hilde Ziegler	...	Gertrud Starke
Claudio Caramaschi	...	Franceso Grimolli
Silvia Jost	...	Sandra Grimolli
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ulrich Beck	...	Sprachlaborlehrer
Josi Berlinger
Gigi Bertolini
Tino Bertrand
Dore De Rosa
Paul Epstein
Aviva Joel
Monika Koch

Storyline

Foreigners who apply to become Swiss citizens have no easy task - especially when the police lets Bodmer loose to check upon their background, their integration in the society, and the possible danger they represent to the orderliness and cleanliness of the country. Bodmer gets a new assistant to help him corner unsuitable applicants. Very soon, a couple of conformist German physicians, a pretty Eastern European dancer, and the inevitable (and politically troublesome) Italian immigrant and his family start shooting themselves in the foot in their attempts to get the red passport with a white cross.

---

Plot Keywords:

cultural integration | new assistant | dancer | home inspection | cleanliness | 

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1970s the Yugoslav passport was one of the best in the world for travel. As stated in Munevera Hadzisehovic's book, "A Muslim Woman in Tito's Yugoslavia", the Yugoslav passport has been described as highly regarded and that with it immigrants were able to find jobs among European firms trading with the East and other countries. It was also described as 'one of the most convenient in the world, as it was one of the few with which a person could travel freely through both the East and West' during the cold war (Ruud Van Dijk's "Encyclopedia of the Cold War").

User Reviews

The Swissmakers : A Rolf Lyssy film about a man who creates new Swiss citizens.

The idea of an object and its creator is important to ascertain their relationship. It is important as a lot is spoken about the creator who is solely responsible for giving life to his creation. It is with this idea in mind that Swiss director Rolf Lyssy decided to shoot an intelligent film about people who are involved in "making Swiss people". One might wonder how people can be made ? The Swissmakers presents a very macho yet safe view about people who recommend names of persons who would be granted Swiss citizenship to become Swiss citizens. As Switzerland is a prosperous nation, certain guidelines have been prepared by Swiss government in order to discipline foreigners/immigrants. One can be sure that if watched with alert eyes, viewers can learn how bureaucracy can meddle with ordinary people's lives. If things are bad for some people then it can make a real mess of their cherished dreams of becoming Swiss citizens. The Swissmakers is more than 38 years old but it continues to exercise tremendous influence on all those who would like to call Switzerland their new home.

Details

Official Sites:

Production's official site Swiss Films page

Country:

Switzerland

Language:

German Swiss German Italian English

Release Date:

12 October 1979 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Hogyan csináljunk svájcit?

Filming Locations:

Zürich, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland

Company Credits

Production Co:

T&C Film AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1