Controversial books ruined by autumn floods

Jean-Luc Goddard Keystone

All 95 copies of a controversial Swiss book "Sketches for a history of cinema" by the film director, Jean-Luc Goddard, have been destroyed by October's floodwaters in Locarno.

The honorary president of Locarno’s international film festival, Raimondo Rezzonico, confirmed a report in the French-language Sunday newspaper “Dimanche.ch”, which said that the books were either completely destroyed or badly damaged by water.

The books, which comprise 216 pages, were published in 1995. They were stored in the vaults of the Film Festival at the edge of Lake Maggiore.

One hundred and fifty limited edition copies of Goddard’s book were supposed to be handed out at the 1995 Locarno festival to a select group of VIPs. However, in the end only 55 people received the book, which included a personal note from Goddard inside them.

The rest were then placed for safekeeping in the cellars of the festival’s organisers.

At the time when the books were to be released, a row broke out between Goddard and Rezzonico. Goddard had wanted his literary works to be published as hand-bound editions but as there were financial problems they were launched as photocopies.

Goddard, who will be 70 in December, is one of Switzerland’s most controversial and best-known directors. He was born in France.

swissinfo with agencies