Chrieg – War (Movie Review)

Fifteen year old Matteo is attractive, albeit somewhat girlish and frail.

The whole world is against him. He has no friends and his parents seem to live in a different universe. The pressure increases as his awkward attempts to win his father’s respect fail.

One night, two men carry him off: His parents send him to a remote Swiss Alp, where he is forced to spend the summer working hard on a family farm. When Matteo arrives on the Alp, a bitter surprise awaits him.

Stars

There are no famous Swiss faces, but many first time actors make the movie Chrieg a very authentic experience. Benjamin Lutzke is cast perfectly in the leading role of Matteo.

Style

The movie "Chrieg", which is Swiss German for "war", is raw and wild. The camera work seems to be very spontaneous, rather shaky and reflects this unfortunate world perfectly. For added authenticity, the entire film is in Swiss German dialect.

Cinemani Vote

"Chrieg" is a perfect example of New Fresh Cinema out of Switzerland. The film has been nominated five times for the Swiss Film Prize, but unfortunately lost to its competitor, "Der Kreis – The Circle", in almost all categories. Still, this authentic youth drama by first time director Simon Jaquemet goes very deep.

Jaquemet: "I want to explore and visualize the seduction of violence. The addictive thrill of operating outside of all limits. Investigate the dynamics inside the group doing it and the consequences upon my main character who is sucked into this world." (source)

Playing in Swiss theaters now

(Pictures copyright Hugofilm)