Serien Festival Basel

Binge Watching
10. Juni 2022

Impressions; Photos: Daniel MuzzuIini

Review 1st Series Festival Basel, 9 to 10 October 2021 (selection)

Idea: U. Dillier, Implementation D. Muzzulini

Terapie sdílením | Therapy by Sharing, Czech Republic 2020, Episodes 2 x 9 min, Production Mall TV

Therapy by Sharing is about all of us. It's about people and messages. The people depicted in the stories are fictitious, the messages are not. They reflect the nature of today's relationships, which mostly take place via digital screens. We use our smartphones to stay connected – but that made us lonely.

Lost in Moldova, Romania 2020, Episodes 2 x 15 min

The young American Diego comes to Moldova to join the Peace Corps because he wants to win back the heart of his ex-girlfriend. The comedy series is about the encounters of his ideas with reality.

Güsel, Switzerland 2014, Episodes 3 x 9 min, Directed by Roger Staub, Deborah Neininger, Jan Sulzer. Screenplay Gabriel Vetter, Production Sulzer Neininger, SRF

The heroes of this mockumentary are sheriffs in the underworld of illegal garbage disposal, in a sense the lint sieve of the throwaway society. Here, waste detectives become philosophers and take a look not only at the garbage, but also at its cause – at all of us (SRF).

Polichinelles France 2019, Episodes 6 x 3 min Production Melocotons Films

Nowadays, it's okay for everyone for mothers to live in a partnership – right? By confusing their family and social environment, Salomé and Marion take a clear path that is both gentle and crazy, testing their deep desire for children and their love.

Passengers Russia 2020, mystery drama, episodes 2 x 20 min

Passengers is an episodic mystery drama about repentance, atonement and absolution. Andrey drives a taxi, but he is no ordinary taxi driver. All its passengers are dead. His job is to transport them to the afterlife, but that's never easy. Andrey's passengers come from all walks of life, and each has its own story. They can only achieve the life after death that is intended for them if they face their past and pay for it.

Peacemaker Episodes 2 x 50 min, Political Drama, Thriller Producers Johanna Enäsuo & Marko Röhr Production MRP Matila Röhr

"I am ashamed to be European. I'm ashamed to be a Finn," diplomat Anni-Mari Sundell said at a NATO summit after it emerged that the Finns were secretly selling weapons to Saudi Arabia. The government then terminates the contract with her and initiates an investigation against her, at the same time the heroine is given the biggest task of her career: to secure a peace treaty between the Turks and the Kurds. Her greatest challenge, however, is to cope with her private life – because the peace process complicates her own past.

Bulle Schweiz 2020, RTS and SRG, Episodes 2 x 50 min Screenplay, Idea: Anne Deluz Coproduction Intermezzo Film

Bulle, a small Swiss town in the midst of industrial change, located at the foot of the Fribourg Prealps. The Aubert family lives in this postcard environment. Their everyday life suddenly gets out of balance when they are confronted with the cancer of 35-year-old Alice. Alice's illness confuses certainties, shifts roles, and forces everyone to question their relationships. (SRG)

Holy Mary! Malta 2019 Episodes 2 x 55 min Idea Abigail Mallia, Carlos Debattista Production Take//Two Producers Abigail Mallia, Carlos Debattista, Jon Mallia Distribution Net Television, Malta

Miraklu tells the story of Joe il-Paps Bonavia, father of five children. He returns from prison and finds a life in ruins – destitute, unemployed, with four young mouths whom he has to feed and they are threatened with eviction. He seeks help from his brother, the parish priest Randolf, who introduces him to Princess, a young immigrant who needs work and a place to stay. The relationship is not under a good star from the beginning, because Paps is racist and Princess has a lively temperament. What he needs is nothing less than a miracle.

Winner Cliffhanger: Becoming Momo Instagram Series, filmkids.ch

Becoming Momo is the first Swiss fictional series in smartphone format. The focus is on the teenagers Momo, Ben and Zoe, who talk about their lives in over 500 episodes a day on three Instagram channels and go through all the ups and downs of puberty. The main theme is the search: for the meaning of life, for a vocation, for a place in society, for self-determination, for sexual identity, for independence – for the true self.

Guests

Stéphane Mitchell, Screenwriter for Film and Television

Simone Schmid, Screenwriter

Markus Fischer, Director, author and producer

Laura Frei, Jury Cliffhanger

Vivienne Kuster, Conversation leader 'Serial Narration'

Katja Morand, Jury Cliffhanger

This Lüscher, Filmkids.ch, Produzent

Ralph Etter, Director

Tim Rohrbach, Actor

Nina Brack, Actress