overview
Type: Short Film
Genre: Historical Drama
Production Company: Ventura Film s.a.
Length: 12 min
Language: Swiss-German (Subtitles in German, English & French)
Production Country: Switzerland
Year: 2021
My Role: Writer, Director, Associate Producer
logline
In 1902 Switzerland, child laborer Emma is expected to thread needles, but just like children today, she desperately tries to live her dream of playing the violin.
Festivals & Awards
Official Selection - 38th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
Official Selection - 57th Film Festival Solothurn
Winner - Best U31 Short Film - 14th Gässli Film Festival 2022
Winner - Interregionaler Jugendprojektwettbewerb 2021
Nominee - Best Historical/Adventure Film & Best Production Design -Vienna Independent Film Awards 2022
Official Selection - Hollywood Shorts Fest Dec 2022
Semi-Finalist - Cannes Indie Shorts Awards Feb 2023
Director’s statement
For a long time I used to buy clothes from cheap brands without ever considering who might have made them. Now, young adults like me are becoming more and more aware of the terrible truth that is the textile industry. But until I came across a school essay from 1880, I was completely unaware that even Switzerland, a country now known for banks and chocolate, has a huge history of textiles and child workers.
The fact that a 12-year old boy describes a normal day as being threading needles from six in the morning until daylight was gone, just shocked me. How can we scorn other countries when our own history is no different? I knew that this was history too close to being forgotten.
At the same time, I always had this old photograph of two children in mind which used to hang at my aunt’s house. A portrait of my grandmother Emma and her older sister Anna. Those child eyes full of hope and an unbreakable belief that everything was possible, stood in direct contrast to that school essay. A conflict. A story I wanted to tell.
Using my own knowledge of playing the violin, I gave Emma the spirited dream of music and the monotone reality of threading needles.
In this society of needles and fabric, Emma’s dream is viewed as naive and childish. But truth is that childish naivety is often the lucky gift of daring to do things that, unfortunately, bound by society’s beliefs, we no longer dare to approach in later years.
With Saitenstich, I wanted to preserve an almost forgotten part of history while at the same time tell a universal story of believing in childhood dreams. A film which should empower us all to be courageous.
Key Team
Cast: Lona Böni, Pascal Ulli, Michèle Breu, Manuel Kühne, Norbert Böni, Philipp Langenegger, Michelle Graf
Writer/Director: Raphaela Wagner
Cinematography: Till Haener
Editing: Daniel Schär
Location Sound: Christian Peruzzetto
Sound Mix: Oswald Schwander, Guido Helbling, Dominik Di Rosa
Music: Michael James Turtle
Production Design: Esther Egli
Costumes: Anna-Barbara Friedli
Make up: Dunja Schwery
Full credits
Regieassistenz: Juliana Bearth
Script / Continuity: Luisa Ricar
Statistenkoordination Set: Anna Schmid
1. Kamera Assistenz: Marin Suter
2. Kamera Assistenz: Anna Image
DIT: Daniel Schär
Standfotos: Tobias Sutter, Lars Böni
Chefbeleuchter: Oliver Muff
Beleuchter: Pirmin Moham, Michael Gmeiner
Szenenbild Assistenz: Maurice Amann, Cyril Fischer, Nadine Weber
Garderobe: Daniela Glarner, Miriam Stöcklin
Maske: Rosa Droco
Masken Assistenz: Elena Castelar
Produktionsleitung: Klemens Niklaus Trenkle
Aufnahmeleitung/ Covid: Bigna Rieder
AL Assistenz: Maximilian Quinones Santander
Runner / Driver: Herbert Ruggli, Kim Werner, Noa Röthlisberger
Picture Design: Patrick Lindenmaier
Conforming und Deliveries: Davide Legittimo
Titel: Chantal Kuhn
Koordination Postproduktion: Virginia Rusch
Postproduktion: Andromeda Film
Aufnahme Violinen Solo & Strohgeige: Maximilian Quinones Santander
Kostüm-Unterstützung:
Bruno Gschwind, Kostüm Kaiser
Brockehuus Sargans
Perücke: Orlando Bassi, Atelier Bassi
Ausstattungs-Unterstützung:
Tom Weber & Wolfgang Gangl, Musik Hug
Felix Hefti, Atelier für Geigenbau
Velomuseum Rehetobel
Bed & Breakfast Kägi
Jeanette Hänseler, Antikes & Rares
Gabriela Amann, Atelier-etc
Art deepARTment
MediAXYZ
Karl Engelhardt
Catering/Hotel:
Kasia Balinska Thurnheer & Edi Thurnheer, Hotel Linde, Heiden
Maria & Hanspeter Loser, Restaurant Schäfli, Dreien
Andreas Näf, NÄF-Metzg AG, Mosnang
Guido Schildknecht & Heidi Koller, Cafe Gschwend, St.Gallen
Linus Thalmann, Hotel Toggenburgerhof, Kirchberg
Weitere Unterstützung:
Ruth Büchler, Industrie- & Handelskammer, St.Gallen-Appenzell
Luzia Nobel, EigenART Secondhand, St.Gallen
KITA Wirbelwind, Heiden
Karin Hübner, Gemeinde Heiden
Roger & Veronica Meile, Bauernhof Meile, Dreien
Daniela & Didier Rebetez, Chrüterhüsli, Basel
Sabrina Allenspach, Cafe&Shop Amici, St.Gallen
Roland Brägger, Blüten&Blatt, St.Gallen
Roger Tanner, Brauerei Schützengarten AG, St.Gallen
Roman Inhelder, Mosterei Möhl, Arbon
Sonderegger Weine AG, Heiden
Heinz Ilg, Ilg Auto AG, Frauenfeld
Production Consultant: Francesco Jost
Associate Producer: Raphaela Wagner
Junior Producer: Mara Manzolini
Produktionsfirma: ventura film
Produzenten: Andres Pfaeffli & Elda Guidinetti
In Koproduktion mit SRF Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen
Redaktion: Libor Tesacek
Herstellungsleitung: Baptiste Planche
Leitung Fiktion: Urs Fitze
Mit Unterstützung von
Bundesamt für Kultur
Kulturförderung Kanton St.Gallen I Swisslos
Alexander-Schmidheiny Stiftung
Südkultur
Rheintaler Kulturstiftung
Gemeinde Wartau
Ein grosses Dankeschön an
Handmaschinensticker Bernhard Hollenstein
Martin & Susanne Fässler mit ihren Schnuggebock Ochsen Max & Pete
Irene Köppel, Rainer Stöckli, Jolanda Spirig, Emil Kaltenrieder, Gabi Buck, Urs Kläger, Samuel Kägi, Karin Hübner, Daniel Wachter, Aline Senn, Samuel Lutz, Jürg Ingold, Corinna Glaus, Diana Segantini, Kimi Fiebig
Und herzlichen Dank an alle Statisten und Helfer!
Copyright ventura film 2021
ISAN 0000-004-3DFD-0000-J-0000-0000-H