Film director Tanner celebrates 70th birthday

Swiss film director Alain Tanner, who is considered one of the fathers of what is often described as the “new Swiss film.” celebrates his 70th birthday on Monday.

Swiss film director Alain Tanner, who is considered one of the fathers of what is often described as the “new Swiss film,” celebrates his 70th birthday on Monday.

Apart from Jean-Luc Godard, who is mostly regarded as French, Tanner is internationally probably the best-known Swiss film maker. And even though Tanner has won only few top awards, he is by far the most prolific Swiss director.

Ever since he won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival with his first film, “Charles mort ou vif,” in the late 1960s, Tanner has shot a movie at least every two years.

One of his most famous productions was “Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l’an 2000,” – “Jonas will be 25 years old in 2000” – which made it into movie theatres in the United States in 1976.

Tanner was strongly influenced by the political developments and upheavals of the 1960s. He has always believed that making a movie is not only a matter of artistic expression, but also represents a political statement.

His films are always aimed at helping bring about political change and freedom from society’s pressures, according to the film critics.

Tanner still writes his own scripts and has remained in the low-budget movie sector, teaming up with producers only in order to find a way through the jungle of Swiss arts grants.

From staff and wire reports.