75th anniversary in Locarno

A long-standing partner of the Locarno Film Festival, the Cinémathèque suisse lends films from its collections and presents new restorations at each edition. For the 2023 edition, to be held from 2 to 12 August, the institution is celebrating its 75th anniversary, taking part in the major retrospective of Mexican cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s, and in particular presenting its new restoration of Daniel Schmid’s La Paloma in the prestigious Piazza Grande.

In Locarno, the Cinémathèque suisse is presenting three films it has recently restored, with the support of Memoriav and the OFC: Claude Goretta’s Si le soleil ne revenait pas (1987), Mohammed Soudani’s Waalo Fendo (Where the Earth Freezes) (1997), and Daniel Schmid’s La Paloma (1974) – screened in the Piazza Grande to mark the institution’s 75th anniversary.

Presented at the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 1974, La Paloma is the second feature film by the Graubünden-born director. Ingrid Caven, Peter Kern and Bulle Ogier appear in this iconic film, which was photographed by Renato Berta, a close friend of Daniel Schmid. The Cinémathèque suisse has also recently acquired the wedding dress worn by Ingrid Caven in the film, which is carefully preserved in its Research and archiving centre in Penthaz.

Adapted from the novel by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, Si le soleil ne revenait pas is one of Claude Goretta’s last feature films for the cinema, in which Charles Vanel excels in the title role alongside Catherine Mouchet and Philippe Léotard. The famous Genevan filmmaker, a member of Groupe 5 who won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 1973 for The Invitation, presented this film in the official selection at Venice in 1987.

Waalo Fendo is the first feature film by Ticino director, cinematographer and producer Mohammed Soudani. This remarkable work won him the very first Swiss Film Prize in 1998. The film will be presented at the Premio Cinema Ticino award ceremony for this important figure in Swiss cinema.

Mexican cinema 1940-1960 Retrospective
In 2023, the Cinémathèque suisse is also taking part in a retrospective of Mexican cinema from the 1940s to the 1960s, three decades full of creativity, populated by extraordinary stars and directors who inspired entire generations, as demonstrated by the exhibition "Mexican Cinematography" organised by the Cinémathèque suisse back in 1960 at Locarno. The Locarno Film Festival's second retrospective devoted to Mexican cinema – after the one held in 1957 – will include works by Emilio Fernández, Alejandro Galindo, Chano Urueta, Miguel Melitón Delgado, Juan Bustillo Oro and Gilberto Martinez Solares, a total of 36 rare films, several of them never shown before. Organised by Olaf Möller, with the collaboration of Roberto Turigliatto, the retrospective is presented by the Locarno Film Festival in association with the Cinémathèque suisse and MUBI. After Locarno, the retrospective will travel to other institutions in Switzerland and abroad, including the Cinémathèque suisse in September.