Res Balzli

Godless Occident

Europe is not a place, but an idea: Europa is a woman, and she is Greek; hers is a history so long, so full of wonders and horrors, of successes and failures, that the moral values that governed her existence have ended up changing radically over the centuries, to the point of losing any meaning and finally disappearing.

Middle of the Moment

Filmmakers Nicolaus Humbert and Werner Penzel examine the nature of nomadic existence in this documentary, from the literal nomads of North Africa to the more metaphorical kind of wanderer, such as American poet and ex-pat Robert Lax. Humbert and Penzel focus especially on the nomad's paradoxical ability to fully inhabit every moment while remaining coolly detached from specific locales and anxious thoughts about the past or future.

Step Across the Border

An avant-garde documentary film on English guitarist, composer and improviser Fred Frith.

Grimsel

Grimsel-West was the name of a project for the expansion of the hydroelectric plant in the Hasli Valley. Submitted on 30 June 1988, its realization seems fairly improbable for the moment. Originally conceived as an expression of opposition to the construction of a new dam, the film tries to fathom the undercurrent of apprehension caused by such plans to exploit the environment.

Noah and the Cowboy

Two dissimilar types – the earnest impassive Bede and the easy-going Luki – suddenly find themselves thrown together. Their difficulties with women, the world, each other and themselves force them to search together for their own way. Hesitant and somewhat helpless, they turn to each other. Thus begins an obstacle race that is not without ist amusing side.