BIOGRAPHIE
DANIEL SCHWEIZER
Daniel Schweizer was born on March 24th, 1959 in Geneva. After studies at the College Voltaire in Arts, he studied at the Geneva University of Art and Design. During this period, he participated in training courses with Johan Van der Keuken and Christmas Burch.
He collaborated with them (image and sound) on several documentary and feature films in the French speaking Switzerland..
In 1982, he continued his studies in France at ESEC (École Supérieure d’Études Cinématographiques de Paris). In parallel in 1983 he worked as a second and then first assistant director for the TSR (Television Suisse Romande) as well as for feature films with directors such as Robert Hossein or Pierre Koralnik.
After 10 years as an assistant, he started working on an audacious and engaged documentary film. In 1993 his first documentary film «Vivre avec» received a warm international reception. As most of his films, it has been screened at many international festivals. It won an award in Leipzig and was selected in Switzerland for the Félix Europeans. His second film «Sylvie» received the mention of the jury at Europa Prize. Daniel Schweizer makes a demanding and committed cinema dealing with the “here and now”. His documentary films question what is at stake in our world today.
His trilogy «Skin or Die, Skinhead Attitude and White Terror» had a wide echo and is a significant testimony to radical extremism.
He regularly works in coproduction with the main European TV channels such as: ARTE (France and Germany), TSR/TSI/SFDRS (Switzerland), ZDF (Germany), RTBF (Belgium), SVT (Sweden) et YLE (Finland).
As a nomad filmaker, he is a member of many film director’s associations and works in Geneva, Paris and Zurich, as a director and independent producer.
In 2007, he participated in the first «Master Class» of the EURODOC training programme.
Since 2003, he is teaching Video at the Geneva University of Art and Design. Daniel Schweizer is currently working on a feature film about an ethnocide in Amazonia « Amazon Vertigo » and on a new documentary film about Israel and Palestine.
2009. Dirty Paradise, 35mm, 72 min., documentary Première at Locarno Film Festival 2009, Official selection: Ici & Ailleurs
2006. Ceci est mon royaume, vidéo,
52 min., documentaire
Sélection compétition officielle au FIPA 2007
2005. White Terror, 35mm, 90 min., documentary Première at Locarno Film Festival 2005,
Cinéastes du Présent
2003. Skinhead Attitude, 35mm, 90 min., documentary
Première Locarno Film Festival 2004,
Cinéastes du Présent
2000. Helldorado, vidéo, 52 min., documentary
Première Festival Visions du Réel 1998, Nyon
1998. Skin or Die, vidéo, 60 min., documentaire
Première Festival Visions du Réel 1998, Nyon
1995. Sylvie, 35mm, 52 min., documentary
Sélection compétition Int. Festival Cinéma
du Réel 1995, Paris
1993. Vivre Avec, 35mm, 56 min., documentary
Première Festival Visions du Réel 1993, Nyon
