International premiere

Caged Birds

Local title
Puurilinnud
Original title
Bis Wir Tot sind oder Frei
Director
Oliver Rihs
Country
Switzerland, Germany
Year
2020
Programme
In Focus: New German Cinema, Official Selection - Competition

For sure a notorious criminal, but also a Robin Hood-like figure, and a Swiss counter-culture icon: Walter Stürm. The man was the king of prison-breaks in the country, managing no less than 8 times to flee Swiss prison between 1974 and 1995, while - strangely enough - maintaining a sense of anarchic humour throughout. One time, fleeing the prison around Easter in 1981, he left a note saying: „Searching for easter eggs, Stürm".

The prize he paid for his not-to-typical-swiss catch-me-if-you-can-personality were years of solitaire confinement, drawing the attention of the left-wing political scene in Switzerland and Germany. An idealistic lawyer, Barbara Hug, sees her chance to use his popularity to reform a Swiss penal system. In their common fate this drama finds its core.

The film will be screened at PÖFF Official Selection Competition.

Christoph Gröner

Jury Prize for The Best Actress – Marie Leuenberger

Director
Oliver Rihs
Screenwriter
Dave Tucker, Oliver Rihs, Norbert Maass, Ivan Madeo, Oliver Keidel
Cast
Marie Leuenberger, Joel Basma, Jella Haase
Producer
Ivan Madeo, Stefan Eichenberger, Urs Frey, Jan Krüger, Jörg Trentmann
DoP
Felix von Muralt
Editor
Andres Radtke
Music
Beat Solèr
Production
Contrast Film Zürich, Port au Prince Film & Kultur Produktion GmbH
Runtime
Language
German, Spanish, Swiss German
Subtitles
Estonian, English
Director
Oliver Rihs

Oliver Rihs (snd 1971) on šveitsi režissöör, kes teeb filme väga erinevates žanrites. Ta elab ja töötab vaheldumisi nii Saksamaal kui Šveitsis. Rihs on töötanud dokumentaalfilmide lavastajana Šveitsi telejaamas SRF. 1998 valmis tema esimene lühifilm „Lilien“, mis võitis Locarno filmifestivalil parima lühifilmi preemia. Tema esimene täispikk film „Brombeerchen“ valmis 2001, kuid läbilöök tuli 2006. aasta kultuslikuks saanud teosega „Must lammas“ ja komöödiaga „Achtung, Fertig, WK!“, millest kujunes 2014. a kõige vaadatum kodumaine film.

Brombeerchen (Blackberry, 2002), Schwarze Schafe (Black Sheep, 2006), Dating Lanzelot (2011), Achtung, fertig, WK! (Ready, Steady, Ommm!, 2013), Affenkönig (Monkey King, 2016), Bis wir tot sind oder frei (Caged Birds, 2020)

Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn

Programme presented by

Trailer
Q&A with the filmmaker