23/10/2023 - The second feature by the Swiss filmmaker revolves around a complex mother-daughter relationship, the challenges of a patchwork family and an intense friendship

l-r: Lisa Brühlmann, Paula Rappaport, Malou Mösli and Carlos Leal on the set of Sisters (© Zodiac Pictures)

In 2017, the coming-of-age drama with fantastical elements Blue My Mind [+see also:
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interview: Lisa Brühlmann
interview: Luna Wedler
film profile] was released. It was the first feature by Swiss director Lisa Brühlmann, and it also represented the first main role for Swiss actress Luna Wedler (Ingeborg Bachmann – Journey into the Desert [+see also:
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interview: Margarethe von Trotta
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interview: Maggie Peren
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interview: Christian Schwochow
film profile]). The movie was an exceptional boost for both of their careers on an international level. It was screened at several festivals and won a string of awards. For Brühlmann, it meant commissions in the UK and the USA, and recently an Emmy nomination for her directing chops on an episode of the cult British series Killing Eve. In the meantime, she has been busy working on several other series, such as Castle Rock and The Servant.

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Now back in Switzerland, she has started shooting her second feature, bearing the working title Sisters. The shoot for this international co-production, lasting from early October until the end of November, will take place in Switzerland but also partly in Greece, on the island of Crete, where the story is also set. For the script, Brühlmann was inspired by autobiographical elements. She wrote about a complex mother-daughter relationship, the challenges of a patchwork family and an intense friendship.

The plot is set in 1996. The protagonist is 15-year-old Valeska, who goes on holiday to Crete with her mother, her mum’s new boyfriend and the latter's daughter. First, Valeska is reluctant, but slowly, the two girls get to know and appreciate each other. While they become as close as sisters, their parents' relationship is much more fragile.

As for the cast, the film focuses on a quartet of Swiss talents. The two teenagers are played by Paula Rappaport, who previously starred in a TV series (Emma lügt), and Malou Mösli. For the first time, director Brühlmann will perform in front of the camera in one of her own works, taking on the role of the mother. By her side, playing the father in the story, is Swiss actor, director and musician Carlos Leal (Color of Heaven [+see also:
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series profile], Casino Royale [+see also:
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Sisters is a co-production between Zodiac Pictures, based in Zurich, and Filmiki Productions in Athens, as well as TV channels SRF, SRG SSR and ARTE. The budget is 3.9 million Swiss francs (circa €4.12 million). It came together thanks to the support of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Zurich Film Foundation, the Canton of Lucerne, Suissimage and MEDIA Desk Suisse. The release of the movie in Swiss cinemas is planned for autumn 2024, and it will be distributed by Zurich-based outfit Filmcoopi.