Beat Schlatter

A crazy referendum throws Switzerland into a state of emergency. By the acceptance of the initiative “No Bilangue” there should be from now on only one national language: French. Many German-speaking Swiss are therefore having a crisis.

Two parents in Zurich think they have been doing everything right. Yet their teenage children disrupt their perfect family system until the parents move out themselves. The boundaries between reality and fiction become blurred.

When Leila discovers at her sister Amanda's wedding that the latter is pregnant, she promptly reveals the carefully guarded secret. While the guests are happy, Amanda worries about her career and Leila about her fertility. Panic-stricken, Leila sets herself a goal: get pregnant! So together with her friend Sophie she throws herself into the nightlife. Sophie is more concerned with the search for babysitters and probably won't snatch a man from her.

A high school teacher who is wrestling with a financial crisis dreams up a get-rich-quick scheme involving streakers and illegal sports betting.

"Lucid Dreams Of Gabriel" is a surrealistic and non-linear story about a mother achieving immortality through her son, unconditional love, and the fluidity of time. The film portrays a moment of transition, from life to afterlife, with the story being told from three different perspectives - a mother, her son, and the messenger who can alter the time. Simona and her son Gabriel travel through three realms - a present moment (at 24 fps), supernatural world (at 48 fps) and a lucid dream (at 48 fps) - in order to discover the purpose of their lives. But, in order to fulfill that purpose, Simona must give away her life afore. Through an afterlife mirror, Simona views the last few minutes of her life with her son. Later, as Gabriel falls asleep, Simona receives a small gift of time from a Messenger. As the sands of time quickly run out, she appears to Gabriel in his dream, in order to deliver a message that he will never forget.

The Wellington used to be a popular Resort Hotel located in a remote place in Switzerland. The hotel is now being managed by the third generation. Ueli has taken over that part for the past 20 years. Ever since then the hotel has gone downhill rapidly. Meanwhile hardly any guests end up in the hotel. The staff has shrunk to the size of four and they all do whatever they feel like. Only Giuseppe, the bellboy, has figured out, that things can no longer go on like that. Totally unexpected, a famous American starlet accompanied by her entire entourage books a room in the hotel, due to her independent film shooting in the area. Things are frantic in the hotel and Giuseppe finally scents his chance to rescue the hotel.

A black comedy set in the fictional village of Gottlingen, which one day receives some very special new residents: nine men and women from an American sect settle in the remote community. When the sect members die in an accident, they leave behind a lot of money. The villagers seize the opportunity to pocket the money and cover up the traces of the accident. When other cult members from America announce their visit, the local council tries to cover up the whole affair. However, this deception triggers a chain reaction with dramatic consequences for the residents of Gottlingen.

The episodic film tells the stories and experiences of different people in the city of Zurich on a Friday night. People who don't know each other meet at six different locations. Two young unemployed men want to rob a bar, Swiss and Germans play cards at a regulars' table, a Zurich scene-goer tries to overcome his inability to form relationships with the help of a psychologist, and a banker cheats on his wife. Characters who are initially characterized as clichés gradually gain depth and become human. "Nachtexpress" shows encounters that could happen every night in Swiss cities. People get together to drink, talk, argue, and love. "Nachtexpress" is a socially critical comedy—a folk play that deals with current issues such as latent racism, love, and inconsistency.

One fine morning, Benno finds sand in his bed. While he tries to ignore this at first, he soon must realize that he himself is loosing the sand.

A documentary tribute to Switzerland's number one national sport: Swiss wrestling. With a wink but nonetheless serious, Zurich resident and wrestling novice Beat Schlatter guides us through the film as presenter. In search of the soul and fascination of wrestling, he tentatively explores a world completely foreign to him, one marked by a dividing line between city and country, which he attempts to bridge.