Palmares 2024

WIR ERBEN Grand Prix SSR/SRG Semaine de la Critique
LA DEPOSITION Marco Zucchi Award


About us

The Semaine de la critique is an independent section, organised by Swiss Association of Film Journalists, in cooperation with the director and organisers of the Locarno Film Festival.

The Semaine de la critique has its own jury which awards the Grand Prix Semaine de la critique/Prix SRG SSR worth 5000.– CHF for the best film in competition and the Marco Zucchi Award worth 2000.- CHF to the most innovative film in terms of cinematic aesthetics and documentary language.

The Semaine de la critique was first held in 1990. Since then it has reviewed state of the art documentary film-making annually with a selection of works chosen for their specific expressive value or essence.

To date, a total of 230 films have been screened, including productions by Erroll Morris, Fredi M. Murer, Ulrich Seidl, Robert Franck, Nicolas Philibert, Richard Dindo, Abbas Kiarostami, Zhang Yuan, Gianfranco Rosi, Peter Mettler, Claire Simon, Davide Ferrario, Sébastien Lifshitz, Thomas Riedelsheimer, Samir, Eryk Rocha, Peter Liechti, Sabine Gisiger, José Luis Valle, Stefan Haupt, Heidi Specogna, Marcel Gisler, Rok Biček and Milo Rau among others.

Sponsors

Partners

Swiss Holiday Park (Hospitality partner)
Cantina La Sughera (Wine supplier)
Fizzy © gazzosa ticinese (Soft Drinks supplier)
CISA Locarno (Academic partner)

History

All titles and winners (1990-2023)



2023


MONOGAMIA Ohad Milstein (SRG SSR Prize)
LES SOEURS PATHAN Eléonore Boissinot (Zonta Prize)
LES PREMIERS JOURS Stéphane Breton (Marco Zucchi Award)
ARCHIV DER ZUKUNFT Joerg Burger
PRISONERS OF FATE Mehdi Sahebi
VISTA MARE Julia Gutweniger, Florian Kofler
WANHA MARKKU Markus Toivo


2022


SYNDROM HAMLETA Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosołowski (SRG SSR Prize)
ARMOTONTA MENOA – HOIVATYÖN LAULUJA Susanna Helke (Zonta Prize)
PISKLAKI Lidia Duda (Marco Zucchi Award)
NÁVŠTĚVNÍC Veronika Lišková
THE DNA OF DIGNITY Jan Baumgartner
LAST STOP BEFORE CHOCOLATE MOUNTAIN Susanna della Sala
MAAYO WONAA KEEROL Diago Alassane


2021


THE BALKONY MOVIE Paweł Łoziński (SRG SSR Prize)
HOW TO KILL A CLOUD Tuija Halttunen (Zonta Prize)
A THOUSAND FIRES Saeed Taji Farouky (Marco Zucchi Award)
BUKOLIKA Karol Pałka
WALK WITH ANGELS Tomasz Wysokiński
STAND UP MY BEAUTY Heidi Specogna
THE BAD MAN Lee Yong-Chao


2020 (Canceled due to covid pandemic)


2019


THE EUPHORIA OF BEING Réka Szabó (SRG SSR Prize)
ADOLESCENTES Sébastien Lifshitz (Zonta Prize)
ANOTHER REALITY Noël Dernesch, Olli Waldhauer
SHALOM ALLAH David Vogel
MURGHAB Martin Saxer, Marlen Elders, Daler Kaziev
LOVEMOBILE Elke Lehrenkrauss
COPPERNOTE OF A DREAM Reza Farahmand
DER GRÜNE BERG Fredi M. Murer (1990, Special anniversary screening)

2018


LE TEMPS DES FORÊTS François-Xavier Drouet (SRG SSR Prize)
#FEMALE PLEASURE Barbara Miller (Zonta Prize)
L'APOLLON DE GAZA Nicolas Wadimoff
DAYS OF MADNESS Damian Nenadic
EASY LESSONS Dorottya Zurbó
WOMEN WITH GUNPOWDER EARRINGS Reza Farahmand
LA HUELLA DE TARA Georgina Barreiro

2017


THE FAMILY Rok Biček (SRG SSR Prize)
SEÑORITA MARIA Rubén Mendoza (Zonta Prize)
LAS CINÉPHILAS Maria Alvarez
FAVELA OLIMPICA Samuel Chalard
DAS KONGO TRIBUNAL Milo Rau
THE POETESS Stefanie Brockhaus, Andreas Wollf
BLOOD AMBER Lee Yong Chao

2016


COMMUNION Anna Zamecka (SRG SSR Prize)
CAHIER AFRICAIN Heidi Specogna (Zonta Prize)
BEZNES AS USUAL Alex Pitstra
SEA TOMORROW Katerina Suvorova
MONK OF THE SEA Rafal Skalski
EL REMOLINO Laura Herrero Garvin
SECONDO ME Pavel Cuzuloc

2015


BROTHERS Wojciech Staron (SRG SSR Prize)
CALL ME MARIANNA Karolina Bielawska (Zonta Prize)
ALS DIE SONNE VON HIMMEL FIEL Aya Domenig
THE GROUND WE WON Christopher Pryor
K2, TOUCHING THE SKY Eliza Kubarska
LAMPEDUSA IN WINTER Jakob Brossman
MY NAME IS GARY B. Hulk, F. Cousseau

2014


15 CORNERS OF THE WORLD S. Solakiewicz (SRG SSR Prize)
LA MORT DU DIEU SERPENT D. Froidevaux (SRG SSR Prize and Zonta Prize)
ON THE RIM OF THE SKY Hongjie Xu
ELECTROBOY Marcel Gisler
MULHAPAR Paolo Poloni
THE STRANGER Neasa Ni Chianain
BROKEN LAND S. Barbey, L. Peter

2013


MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE Marc Bauder (SRG SSR Prize)
FLOWERS FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES H. Pikkov (Zonta Prize)
WATERMARKS Luc Schaedler
DIE HÜTER DER TUNDRA René Harder
THE UNPLACABLES René A. Hazekamp
EARTH'S GOLDEN PLAYGROUND Andreas Horvath
BIG MEN Rachel Boynton

2012


VERGISS MEIN NICHT David Sieveking (SRG SSR Prize)
DANCE OF OUTLAWS Mohamed El Aboudi (Zonta Prize)
STOLEN SEAS Thymaya Payne
CAMP 14 Marco Wiese
LIBYA HURRA Fritz Ofner
MOTHER'S DAY Bin Chuen Choi
SAGRADA - EL MISTERI DE LA CREACIÓ Stefan Haupt

2011


MESSIES Ulrich Grossenbacher (SRG SSR Prize)
SKETCHES OF MYAHK Koichi Onishi (Special Mention SdlC)
CALVET Dominic Allan
CARTE BLANCHE Alexandre Goetschmann
DIE EVOLUTION DER GEWALT Fritz Ofner
GANGSTERLÄUFER Christian Stahl
NOT IN MY BACKYARD Matthias Bittner

2010


REINDEERSPOTTING Jonaas Neuvonen (SRG SSR Prize)
BLOOD CALLS YOU Linda Thorgren (Special Mention SdlC)
THE FURIOUS FORCE OF RHYMES J. A. Litle (Special Mention SdlC)
DAS SCHIFF DES TORJÄGERS Heidi Specogna
SUMMER PASTURE L. True, N. Walker, T. Perlo
AUF WIEDERSEHEN FINLAND Virpi Suutari
ARTICLE 12 Juan Manuel Blaiñ

2009


PIANOMANIA R. Cibis, L. Franck (SRG SSR Prize)
BREATH MADE VISIBLE Ruedi Gerber
CRIPS, STRAPPED'N STRONG J. Van der Valk, M. Gavan
EL MILAGRO DEL PAPA Losé Luis Valle
WE DON'T CARE ABOUT MUSIC ANYWAY G. Kuentz, C. Dupire
17 AUGUST Alexander Gutman
THE MOON INSIDE YOU Diana Fabianova

2008


KITES Beata Dzianowicz (SRG SSR Prize)
BILL - DAS ABSOLUTE AUGENMASS E. Schmid (Special Mention SdlC)
APOLOGY OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN S. Koul
ESTRADA REAL DA CACHACA Pedro Urano
FYRA FRUAR OCH EN MAN Nahid Person
NOBODY IS PERFECT Niko von Glasow
NO MORE SMOKE SIGNALS Fanny Bräuning

2007


ALLEIN IN VIER WÄNDEN A. Westmeier (SRG SSR Prize)
EL PARAISO DE HAFNER Günter Schwaiger
LA REINA DEL CONDON S. Ceschi, R. Stamm
LOS LADRONES VIEJOS Everardo Gonzalez
LYNCH blackANDwhite
ONE MINUTE TO NINE Tommy Davis
ZU FUSS NACH SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA B. Moll

2006


ZEIT DES ABSCHIEDS Mehdi Sahebi (SRG SSR Prize)
AZ ELET VENDEGE - ALEXANDER CSOMA DE KÖRÖS T. Szemso
DAS ERBE DER BERGLER - ALPINE SAGA E. Langjahr
EGGESIN MÖGLICHERWEISE D. Eth, O. Winkler
HARDCORE CHAMBERMUSIC Peter Liechti
RED WHITE BACK AND BLUE T. Putnam
THREE COMRADES Masha Novikova

2005


GAMBIT Sabine Gisiger (SRG SSR Prize)
BETWEEN THE LINES Thomas Wartmann
BLAU Stefan Kälin, Norbert Wiedmer
GESCHLOSSENE GESELLSCHAFT Andrei Schwartz
MY DATE WITH DREW J. Gunn, B. Herzlinger, B. Winn
WAR'N SIE SCHON MAL IN MICH VERLIEBT? Douglas Wolfsperger
WIE LUFT ZUM ATMEN Ruth Olshan

2004


TOUCH THE SOUND Thomas Riedelsheimer (SRG SSR Prize)
CALLING HEDY LAMARR Gerog Minsch (Special Mention SdlC)
DIE BLUTTRITTER Douglas Wolfsperger
FERIEN IM DUETT Dieter Gränicher
GA LOSS Erik Bäfving, Magnus Gertten
MENSAGEIRAS DE LUZ Evaldo Mocarzel
NOCAUT Stefano Knuchel, Ivan Nurchis

2003


THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND S. Green, B. Siegel (SRG SSR Prize)
THE OTHER FINAL Johan Kramer
DIX-SEPT ANS Didier Nion
BILDER FINDEN Benjamin Geissler
THE PETER SELLERS STORY - AS HE FILMED IT A. Wall, P. Lydon
HANS IM GLÜCK Peter Liechti
GO WEST, YOUNG MAN! P. Delpeut, M. Dominicus

2002


FORGET BAGHDAD Samir (SRG SSR Prize)
ICH HIESS SABINA SPIELREIN Elisaberth Marton
GUERRE SANS IMAGES Mohammed Soudani
ROCHA QUE VOA Eryk Rocha
BEHIND ME Norbert Wiedmer
GAZA STRIP James Longley
CINEMANIA Angela Christlieb, Stephen Kijak

2001


VENUS BOYZ Gabriel Baur (SRG SSR Prize)
MEYER 19 Erick Schmid
RABELADOS T. Truscheit, A. R. Fernandes
MISSING ALLEN Christian Bauer
ORLAN, CARNAL ART Stephan Oriach
DER WEISSE WAL Stephan Koester
PROMISES B. Z. Goldberg, J. Shapiro, C. Bolado

2000


DO IT Sabine Gisiger, Marcel Zwingli (SRG SSR Prize)
AMARGOSA Todd Robinson
MÜNCHEN - GEHEIMNNISSE EINER STADT M. Althen, D. Graf
BEYOND REASON Marijke Jongbloed
HAMRAH-E BAD Manucher Tayyab
DIE MARKUS FAMILIE Elfi Mikesch
BLUE END Kaspar Kasics

1999


DESPERATELY SEEKING HELEN E. Marjara (SRG SSR Prize)
FENGQUANG YINGYU Zhang Yuan
THE HILLBROW KIDS M. Hammon, J. Görgen
GENET À CHATILA Richard Dindo
AMONG THE ELVES Kirsi Nevanti
ABER AUCH ICH Urs Wäckerli
PUNITIVE DAMAGE Annie Goldson

1998


PAULINA Vicky Funari
BRAIN CONCERT Bruno Moll
MOMENT OF IMPACT Julia Loktev
TINTA ROJA Carmen Guarini, Marcelo Céspedes
LEVE BLANT LEVER Sigve Endresen
LUCKY PEOPLE CENTER INTERNATIONAL E. Pauser, J. Soderberg
UNE MAISON À PRAGUE Stan Neumann

1997


REST IN PIECES Robert-Adrian Pejo
OFF THE MENU: THE LAST DAYS OF CHASEN S. Springer Berman
DIESE TAGE IN TEREZIN Sibylle Schönemann
BERLIN-CINEMA Samira Gloor-Fadel
ROLLING Peter Entell
VERRÜCKT BLEIBEN - VERLIEBT BLEIBEN Elfi Mikesch
AZ UT Ferenc Moldovanyi

1996


AROUND THE BLOCK Alain Klarer
ATTWENGERFILM W. Mürnberg
MATERIALE RESISTENTE Guido Chiesa, Davide Ferrario
SOUL IN THE HOLE Danielle Gardner
STÖRUNG OST Schneider, Katzorke
TABU, DERNIER VOYAGE Yves du Peretti
UNE SAISON AU PARADIS Richard Dindo

1995


CATWALK Robert Leacock, Milton M. Ginsberg
CARMEN MIRANDA - BANANA IS MY BUSINESS H. Solberg
COÛTE QUE COÛTE Claire Simon
DEVILS DON'T DREAM Andreas Hoessli
GUANGCHANG - THE SQUARE Z. Yuan, D. Jinebuam
DTHE LAST SUPPER Cynthia Roberts
MESICHNI UDOLI vvaa
SEPTEMBER SONG Larry Weinstein

1994


A DREAMSCAPE: GAMBLING IN AMERICA B. Ijdis
AIR/VÄYU Velu Visvanadhan
BAHNHOF BREST - VOKSAL Gerd Kroske
BALAGAN Andres Veiel
LA DANSE DU SINGE ET DU POISSON Pierre-Alain Meier
ERNESTO "CHE" GUEVARA Richard Dindo
PICTURE OF LIGHT Peter Mettler
TRAVELLER'S TALE Lars Johansson

1993


AILEEN WUORNOS: THE SELLING OF A SERIAL KILLER N. Broomfield
BABYLON 2 Samir
BEWOGEN KOPER J. van der Keuken
BOATMAN Gianfranco Rosi
LYRISCHE SUITE Harald Bergman
PECHBLENDE Volker Koepp
STARTING PLACE Robert Kramer
TANZ DER BLAUEN VÖGEL Lisa Fässler
LA VERITABLE HISTOIRE D'ARTAUD LE MOMO G. Mordillat

1992


BABEL Boris Lehman
FACE OF OUR FEAR Stephen Dwoski
LAST SUPPER Robert Franck
METAMORFOZ' ILI VZGLIAD IZ TIUR 'MI M. Averbuch
MY CRAZY LIFE Jean Pierre Gorin
LE PAYS DES SOURDS Nicolas Philibert
REQUIEM Walter Marti, René Mertens
SERTSCHAWAN B. M. Leuthold, H. Stürm
WARHEADS Romuald Karmakar
ZENDEGI EDAME DARAD Abbas Kiarostami

1991


ARTHUR RIMBAUD, UNE BIOGRAPHIE Richard Dindo
DAR KOUTCHE-HAYE ESHGH Koshro Sinale
FACE VALUE J. van der Keuken
PRIVILEGE Yvonne Reiner
SCHMETTERLINGSCHATTEN Anne Kaser Spoerri
TROIS JOURS EN GRÈCE Jean-Daniel Pollet

1990


CONTRETEMPS Jean-Daniel Pollet
GOOD NEWS Ulrich Seidl
DER GRÜNE BERG Fredi M. Murer
LUNG-TA M. J. de Poncheville, F. C. Gierke
NACHID EL-HAJAR Michel Khleifi
THE THIN BLUE LINE Errol Morris


All General Delegates of the Semaine de la critique (1990-present)


Till Brockmann (2020-present)
Marco Zucchi (2017-2019)
Stéphane Gobbo (2015-2016)
Irene Genhart with Simon Spiegel (2008-2014)
Irene Genhart with Michael Sennhauser (2004-2007)
Irene Genhart with Thomas Schärer (2000-2003)
Alberto Chollet (1998-1999)
Mariano Morace (1995-1997)
Jean Perret (1990-1994)

Submit


Submissions 2024 are closed. Submissions for the Semaine 2025 will open in February 2025

Team

GENERAL DELEGATE

Till Brockmann

till@semainedelacritique.ch

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Ruth Baettig
Till Brockmann
Chiara Fanetti
Thomas Gerber
Brigitte Häring
Adrien Kuenzy
Julia Zutavern

COORDINATION

Giorgia Bertocchi

giorgia@semainedelacritique.ch

FINANCES

Beat Glur

Contact Us

info@semainedelacritique.ch

Links

Locarno Film Festival
Swiss Association of Film Journalists

Till Brockmann