| Magic Matterhonr | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Anka Schmid |
| Screenplay by | Anka Schmid |
| Cinematography | Ciro Cappellari |
| Edited by | Inge Schneider |
| Music by | Ben Jeger |
Release date | 1995 |
Running time | 87min |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Languages | Swiss German, German, English |
Magic Matterhorn (1995) is an essayistic documentary by Swiss director Anka Schmid about the meaning of ones homeland, its clichés and reality. The mountain Matterhorn is the starting point for the portrayal of a ‚part-time‘ farmer from the Swiss mountain village Zermatt, a professional Swiss yodeler in Disneyland, California and the cabaret group called Geschwister Pfister.[1]
In a playful manner the film embarks on the search for contemporary notions of homeland and shows real and surreal worlds. The film was shot in the Swiss tourist village Zermatt at the foot of the iconic mountain Matterhorn as well as in Disneyland in California where there is a copy of the Matterhorn. Anka Schmid confronts concrete living conditions with clichés and is not afraid of the balancing act between philosophical thoughts and kitsch-souvenirs. The Matterhorn serves as a leitmotif. People from Zermatt, tourists from all over the world and an American-Swiss explain their understanding of homeland and their relationship with the mystically superelevated mountain Matterhorn. The interviews are being accompanied by pictures of the mountain and performances by the cabaret-group.[2]
In the International Film Encyclopedia Magic Matterhorn is described as an "amusing documentary, which thanks to the contrasting juxtaposition of various views ended up being very multifaceted but over time is lacking identity."[3]