‘September 5’ Director Tim Fehlbaum Working on a ‘Historical Film’ Set in Berlin as Swiss Filmmakers Take on Challenges and Opportunities of Shooting in English
At the Venice Production Bridge, "September 5" director Tim Fehlbaum joined fellow Swiss filmmakers Ursula Meier and Michael Koch to discuss the growing trend of Swiss cinema being shot partly or entirely in English. The panel, held at an event where Switzerland is this year's country of focus, examined why directors increasingly turn to English-language productions, citing creative reach and, crucially, easier financing. Fehlbaum used the occasion to reveal his next project: a historical film set in Berlin that will mix German and English dialogue, again drawing on an American perspective to broaden its appeal and funding prospects.
The discussion, moderated by Variety's Nick Vivarelli, also touched on Meier's "Quiet Land", an English-language drama starring Bill Murray and Léa Seydoux that is set in Montana but will be shot in Alberta, with production expected next year. Koch spoke about directing Peter Sarsgaard in "Erosion", a deliberate creative choice to view a Swiss mountain community through the eyes of an outsider, blending a professional American actor with the non-professional cast from his earlier film "A Piece of Sky". All three agreed English is becoming a significant, though not dominant, feature of contemporary Swiss filmmaking.
- Swiss directors Fehlbaum, Meier and Koch discussed English-language Swiss cinema at Venice.
- Fehlbaum's next film is a German/English historical drama set in Berlin.
- Meier's "Quiet Land" stars Bill Murray and Léa Seydoux; Koch's "Erosion" features Peter Sarsgaard.
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Swiss cinema is having a moment on the international stage, and part of that is down to more of its directors choosing to make films in English rather than in French, German or Italian, the country's usual languages. The reasoning is largely practical: English-language projects tend to attract bigger international casts, wider audiences and, importantly, more funding, since financiers are often more willing to back films that can find distribution beyond Switzerland's small domestic market.
Tim Fehlbaum is a Swiss director who came to wider attention with "September 5", a film about the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis told from the perspective of American television journalists. Ursula Meier and Michael Koch are two other established Swiss filmmakers who have taken similar approaches in their recent work, often pairing well-known American actors with Swiss settings or stories.
This background matters because it reflects a broader shift in how smaller national film industries try to compete globally, using language and international stars as tools to reach audiences and secure financing they might otherwise struggle to get. The conversation among these three directors, held at a major industry gathering in Venice where Switzerland was the featured country, offers a snapshot of how that strategy is playing out in practice.