Akte Grüninger – Schindler’s List Made in Switzerland (Review)

February, 1939: Switzerland closes its borders to Jewish refugees. However, hundreds of people continue to cross the border without a valid visa. Police inspector Robert Frei, a young ambitious official who believes in authority, is summoned to the canton of St. Gallen.

There, he finds out about an underground help system which is being supported by large parts of the population and enabled by St. Gallen police captain Paul Grüninger.

Hence the movie's title: Akte Grüninger.

Stars

With prominent Swiss movies such as Giulias Verschwinden, Der Verdingbub or Lovely Louise, actor Stefan Kurt hast been omnipresent during the last few years.

His acting talent is ingenious, and his latest characterization of Paul Grüninger fits him perfectly - even with a different Swiss accent! His native dialect is from Bern, but the movie required a dialect from St. Gallen in Eastern Switzerland.

Other famous actors include Anatole Taubmann (007: Quantum of Solace) and Max Simonischek (last seen in the relationship drama Am Hang).

Style

Director Alain Gsponer (The Little Ghost) has the great talent of transporting viewers directly into those gritty times of World War II. The proof is that you will never feel that this movie was originally planned for TV release only...

Cinemani-Vote

While Richard Dindo made his serious documentary Grüningers Fall in 1997, Akte Grüninger tells the story differently and is much more impressive for a broad audience. In a way, one could call it "Schindler's List made in Switzerland"!

Playing in Swiss theaters now