Blue Mountain (film)
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Thomas Tanner
| Blue Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Thomas Tanner |
| Written by | Gabriele Strohm Thomas Tanner |
| Starring | Chandra Goetz |
| Cinematography | Philippe Cordey |
| Edited by | Bernhard Lehner |
| Music by | Carl Hänggi |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Language | Swiss German |
Blue Mountain is a 1997 Swiss drama film directed by Thomas Tanner. The film follows a twelve-year-old girl who forms a friendship with an older neighbour while living in a troubled household. It premiered in August 1996 and later screened at several international festivals.[1]
The film centres on Sonia, a twelve-year-old girl living with her apparently well-ordered family in the Villa Balmer. Troubled by dark spirits that haunt her dreams, she performs a private ritual to protect herself. She befriends her sixteen-year-old neighbour Melanie, whose wild and independent nature introduces Sonia to experiences far beyond the world imagined by her parents. But then everything suddenly changes.[1]
Cast
The cast includes:[2]
- Chandra Goetz as Sonia
- Sabina Lüthi as Melanie
- Eva Scheurer as Renate
- Wolf Hofer as Manfred
- Daniel Bill as Röffe
Reception
Variety described the film as a smoothly executed drama about domestic child abuse, but said it was “too patly written” to give the subject its intended force. The review criticised the ending as contrived, while noting the film’s somber, naturalistic tone and professional technical work.[3] Filmdienst described the film as a sensitive and moving chamber drama that handled its subject carefully and without voyeurism.[4] SRF described the film as a poignant dialect drama whose subtle treatment of a taboo subject was balanced by a hopeful portrayal of female friendship.[5]