Die Kinder vom Napf
The children from Napf
Germania / 2011 / 88 min / Colour
Italian premiere
Among the cantons of Bern and Lucerne, in the Entlebuch Valley, a natural reserve in the UNESCO Biosphere, stands Mount Napf. At the foot of this mountain live fifty children. Sons of farmers, each morning they traverse ten kilometres on foot and by bus, but some them also ride the cable cars to get down the mountain to reach their destination in the heart of the mountains. For these children, who have inherited from their parents the temper of lumberjacks and of farmers accustomed to hard work, walking miles through the snow to reach the school is a habit that becomes almost a game, albeit a tiring one. Their voices, in the dim light of dawn, ring across the valleys. In the afternoons, even the young- est return home to work on their farms. The summer is the time for play, and of tree-huts, and of the traditional Swiss wrestling with large burlap underwear. The director accompanies the children of Napf for 365 days along the four seasons. The landscape of Mount Napf provides the backdrop for the life stories of these young mountain folk in the western wilderness of Lucerne.
Alice Schmid
Born in Lucerne in 1951, Schmid is a writer and director. In 1996 she founded the Ciné A. S. in Zurich, where she often makes films about the life of children. With Die Kinder vom Napf (2011) she participated in the XVIII Film Festival della Lessinia, earning a special mention. Das Mädchen vom Änziloch has already been screened at various festivals, obtaining numerous nominations and recognitions.
Credits
Language English, Swissgerman Subject Alice SchmidCinematography Alice SchmidSound Alice SchmidEditing Caterina MonaMusic Daniel AlmadaProducer Alice SchmidProduction company Ciné A.S. GmbH, Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen