Zürcher Hochschule der Künste ZHdK Departement Darstellende Künste und Film

Nestled behind high mountains and dark forests lies Triberg, the birthplace of the cuckoo clock. For centuries, this cult item has been handcrafted right here, attracting tourists from all over the world. Ever since the boom of the 1980s has faded, the cuckoo clock has gradually lost its appeal and magic. And so has the place, which now resembles a ghost town. Its residents however still believe in their clock: Vendors, clockmakers and tourist guides alike fight to preserve their beloved heritage. Between abandoned restaurants and souvenir shops they hope for new tourists, while the clock continues ticking away.

Anna, the child of Swiss-Korean parents, is torn between her culture and identity. When a strange North Korean man magically appears in her wardrobe, she not only learns more about herself, but also develops a precious friendship.

It's 10:47 pm on a bus somewhere in a city. A few teenagers are listening to music and talking loudly. The other passengers look languidly out the window or at their cell phones. A drunk man gets in and joins the teenagers; the mood starts to shift.

When an unmarried and childless funeral director searches for relatives of a man who died in solitude, she becomes aware of her own longing.

While helping her father die, Blerta ignites a battle within her family.

Josef finds a propeller hat and does everything he can to be able to fly with it. That's roughly the short film narrative of film student Claudius, who does everything in his power to finally shoot his graduation film. But making films isn't that easy, not to mention flying.

Wherever Toni shows up, even a meat counter turns into a regulars’ table. Ever since the musician chucked his guitar, he lingers through life as a well known grumbler. When a parcel is mistakenly delivered to his door, he gets into his car without further ado, trying to find the right addressee. Already at the first crossroads a seemingly endless odyssey begins to unfold.

After Whim makes it through the unconventional audition for the dance piece Syncope, the choreographer finds himself unsatisfied with her full commitment. But what she and the other dancers experience in the rehearsals is just a glimpse of what his dark vision will demand from them.

Filmmaking in the silent film era. Stuntman Tom is tired of falling into the dirt for other people and now takes it into his own hands to be promoted to star of the film.

A group of high school students must break into their principal's office to destroy evidence before the devastating parent-teacher conference that same evening.

Daut, a survivor of a massacre where his son was killed, has been rehearsing a letter for 20 years on what he will say if Hague ever calls him to testify for the horrors he has seen that day. The burden of memories gets heavier when he gets the news that his brother died of an illness, making Daut the only last survivor to remember the event. His mind starts to fail him on important details of the testimony. He might never bring justice for his son. For his brother. For his friends. Will the dead forgive him for giving up and being handed over to oblivion?

Louis, "The Special One", abandoned by his mother, disturbed by his father, has long since lost faith in love and tells us his somewhat different love story.

A boy dreams of being a great football star. One morning he leaves the grey of his housing estate to step into the bright light of the stadium. There he meets an unexpected opponent who puts him to the test.

In unspectacular everyday scenes we observe three groups, their dynamics and moods over the course of a day.

Switzerland in the 1950s: Electricity consumption is rising steadily. Two officials are commissioned by the city to convince the inhabitants of the Gettlichtal to leave voluntarily so that dams and reservoirs can be built. But the mountain farmer Marie, who has spent her entire life here, finds it difficult to leave the valley.

Christina is in her mid-twenties and in a sensual and playful relationship with her boyfriend Joel. Though it irritates her when Joel takes erotic photos of her during sex, she gladly submits to it, for him. After all, they’re not teenagers anymore. Christina eventually starts to question her trust in Joel when she sees him tipsily showing a photo on his phone to their mutual friend Tanner. Christina’s doubts alone suffice to put the couple’s relationship to the test.

The story of three Turkish men. They all grew up in Switzerland and all got deported after various criminal offenses.

Exchange student Sean meets Daniel, the anatomy tutor he's been dating for two months, in a university anatomy lab. Among cadavers and specimens, they confront their uncertain relationship. Then the body Daniel was working on vanishes. Moments later, Daniel is killed, and Sean realizes the corpse is alive. Trapped inside, Sean fights to survive, unaware that whatever revived it has already found its next match.