Opening of the 57th Solothurn Film Festival

Alain Berset opens the 57th Solothurn Film Festival at the Reithalle. The festival takes place with an audience, under the health rules of the Omicron winter. That same afternoon, as health minister, he had announced the partial extension of the measures against Covid-19.

His speech starts from a question: “Sollten wir überhaupt hier sein?” He answers it with the Swiss “Mittelweg”, between protecting health and meeting the needs of social, economic and cultural life. The opening film, “Loving Highsmith” by Eva Vitija, serves as his common thread: Patricia Highsmith’s ambivalence set against the polarisation of public debate. He also argues for the revision of the Film Act, to be put to the vote on 15 May.

Speeches on this site

• Ouverture des 57es Journées de Soleure (in German, French-language page)

Sources

• Solothurner Zeitung, 19 January 2022
• Blick, 19 January 2022