Switzerland today

Greetings from Lausanne!

Today we take you up high to lush tranquil Alpine pastures and (not so peaceful) peaks. We also have news on Roger’s knee, predictions about upcoming votes and more from the Locarno Film Festival.

Keystone / Aeltc / David Gray / Pool

In the news: a vote poll and Roger Federer’s knee

• Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer (above), who turned 40 last week, has given an interview to the Blick newspaper, in which he talks about getting old, his dodgy knee – “everything is a little uncertain” – and his karaoke skills, among other things.
• Seven weeks ahead of the September 26 nationwide votes, a 20 Minutes/Tamedia poll reveals that the so-called “99% initiative” – another attempt to tackle disparities in distribution of wealth and income – could fail at the ballot box (49% against), while the “marriage for all initiative” may pass (64% in favour).
• Workers have started dismantling the huge Tamoil refinery at Collombey-Muraz in canton Valais. A report by 24 heuresExternal link details the mammoth task ahead that will involve pulling to pieces 54 cisterns, 90km of pipes and 10km of drains on the 461,000 m2 oil refinery by the end of 2022; 95% of the facility will be recycled. From 2025 new companies plan to set up on the site.

• Graubünden’s spectacular mountain peaks are the focus of a dispute between the Graubünden cantonal bank and environmental groups, as Der Bund reportsExternal link. To mark its 150^th anniversary last year and to raise awareness about the mountains, the bank set up metal information boards on 150 summits that encourage hikers to leave selfies and messages on an online e-summit book. But critics, who were already unhappy about the project, say they should now be removed and that advertising campaigns should not be allowed on peaks in future.

Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

Word from the Alps: dealing with eco-tourism

In his latest Alpine environment newsletter, Dale Bechtel looks at how the Swiss tourist industry is dealing with global growth in eco-tourism. One proposal from a recent report is a call for more experiences to educate guests on the biodiversity and culture of the Alps.

Locarno Film Festival

Culture corner: Our journalists and film critics have been busy in Locarno.

For a festival that in 2018 signed a pledge for gender parity in their programming, this year’s choices at the Locarno Film Festival show a distinct lack of commitment to reaching those aims, reports Caitlin Quinlan from Locarno Critics Academy. But this year’s Cineasti del presente competition was a welcome exception, with three women-directed features that stand out including Holy Emy (see photo above), the debut film by Greek director Araceli Lemos. You can read Caitlin Quinlan’s full article here.

Karin Taglang, also of the Locarno Critics Academy, writes about this year’s offering from Nordic directors. The Scandinavian and Icelandic films shown this year have the most exotic cinematography of the festival, with progress on issues of gender, the environment and ethics, she says.