Technical Specifications
Year: 1979
Director: Fredi M. Murer
Director of Photography: Hans Liechti
Distribution: Cactus Film
Runtime: 100’
Language: Swiss German/German
Production: Nemo Film AG
Distribution of the Restored Version: Cinémathèque suisse
Restoration Information
Restoration: Cinémathèque suisse
4K Image Digitisation-Colour Grading-Image Restoration: Cinegrell
Sound Digitisation: Lichtspiel
Sound Restoration: Tonstudio Z
Subtitles: Andromeda Film AG
Synopsis
Unbeknownst to them, Alfred and Julia are living in an imaginary land. It is the richest and most beautiful country in the world. From above, it resembles a piece of felt, but when you look closely, it is actually a carefully manicured park. The footpaths are lined with benches and the streets with banks. Alfred and Julia have been married for eight years with no children. They live on the 16th floor of a new apartment building. They both earn a living and want for nothing. Throughout their struggles, they have gotten to know each other better, but their most outstanding characteristic remains their mediocrity. On Friday, 12 August 1977, an epidemic breaks out in their country. The media ensure that the news is broadcast far and wide. The authorities block the information, but those involved break their imposed silence. On Sunday evening, an official source reveals that the epidemic was just a dress rehearsal for a real emergency. Alfred and Julia continue to live in fabricated world, but now, they are aware of it.
Regarding the Film's Restoration
For the 4K restoration, the Cinémathèque suisse had access to several elements of Grauzone, including the original 16mm reversal film, the 35mm internegative blow-up, and a 35mm copy deposited by the Federal Department of Home Affairs when the film was released. Comparing the first two elements, both in good condition from the Fredi M. Murer collection, revealed the existence of a series of differences as a result of alterations to the image, which were difficult to identify with certainty due to the lack of detailed documentation. Therefore, the original reversal film was considered to be an incomplete working version and the restoration was carried out on the internegative which served as the master for printing all the screening copies of the film. In terms of sound, the restored version is based on the digitisation of an original 16mm sepmag (separate magnetic medium) by the Lichtspiel in Bern. The digitisation, colour grading, image and sound restoration were carried out under the supervision of director Fredi M. Murer.