Das Mädchen und die Spinne
The Girl and the Spider

Liliane Amuat, Henriette Confurius
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider by Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
CHE 2021, Encounters
© Beauvoir Films

Flurin Giger, Henriette Confurius, Dagna Litzenberger Vinet
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider by Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
CHE 2021, Encounters
© Beauvoir Films

Liliane Amuat
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider by Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
CHE 2021, Encounters
© Beauvoir Films

Dagna Litzenberger Vinet, Lea Draeger, Ursina Lardi
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider by Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
CHE 2021, Encounters
© Beauvoir Films

Dagna Litzenberger Vinet
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider by Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
CHE 2021, Encounters
© Beauvoir Films
Like the titular spider’s web, the film has a perfect, fragile geometry. Set almost entirely in interiors, it is also an involuntary summary of the paradoxical age of the pandemic. The transition from one abode to another, and the energy that is released between one story ending and another beginning, puts the entire ensemble into an altered state of grace. This creates a sort of seductive jam session, replete with the evocative presence of totemic animals. It is, as they say at one point, “As if a secret force were holding everything together”. This weird magnetism comes from the Zürcher brothers’ organic writing and directing. Once again, framing, scale and deep focus are all essential elements of their cinematic language, while the editing orchestrates themes and figures at a relentless pace. This leads to constant formal tension between movements, gazes, sounds, colours and details, which all support each other as if part of a dizzying house of cards.
With
- Henriette Confurius (Mara)
- Liliane Amuat (Lisa)
- Ursina Lardi (Astrid)
- Flurin Giger (Jan)
- André M. Hennicke (Jurek)
- Ivan Georgiev (Markus)
- Dagna Litzenberger Vinet (Kerstin)
- Lea Draeger (Nora)
- Sabine Timoteo (Karen)
- Birte Schnöink (Chambermaid)
Crew
Written and Directed by | Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher |
Cinematography | Alex Haßkerl |
Montage | Ramon Zürcher, Katharina Bhend |
Music | Philipp Moll |
Sound Design | Denis Séchaud |
Sound | Balthasar Jucker |
Production Design | Sabina Winkler, Mortimer Chen |
Costumes | Anne-Sophie Raemy |
Make-Up | Simone Enkerli |
Casting | Ulrike Müller |
Production Manager | Andrea Blaser |
Producers | Aline Schmid, Adrian Blaser |
World Sales
Produced by
Beauvoir Films

Aline Schmid
The film's producer at the premiere.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
For their film the brothers were awarded the Prize of the FIPRESCI Jury for the Encounters section.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Silvan Zürcher, Ramon Zürcher
The directors are excited to be able to experience their film on the big screen.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Liliane Amuat, Henriette Confurius
The two leading actors are well protected.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Henriette Confurius, Liliane Amuat, Silvan Zürcher, Ramon Zürcher
The film team with impressive scenery behind them.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Ramon Zürcher
One half of the director duo during an interview.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Opening Night at the Kulturforum
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · ARTE Sommerkino Kulturforum · Jun 09, 2021

Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher
The winners of the prize for Best Director (ex aequo).
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · Freiluftkino Museumsinsel · Jun 13, 2021

Florence Almozini, Diedrich Diederichsen, Cecilia Barrionuevo, Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher, Katty Salié
The jury with the happy winners of the prize for Best Director (ex aequo).
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Encounters Best Director · Freiluftkino Museumsinsel · Jun 13, 2021

Silvan Zürcher, Ramon Zürcher
The directors of the film which was awarded the prize for Best Director (ex aequo).
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters Best Director · Freiluftkino Museumsinsel · Jun 13, 2021

Silvan Zürcher, Ramon Zürcher
Das Mädchen und die Spinne · Encounters · Jun 09, 2021
© Jens Koch
Ramon Zürcher, Silvan Zürcher | Best Director (ex aequo)
Video message by the award winners.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider
Encounters · Galas & Awards · Mar 05, 2021
Announcement of the Jury Decisions: Encounters
The jurors Florence Almozini, Cecilia Barrionuevo and Diedrich Diederichsen have announced the winners during the Industry Event.
Das Mädchen und die Spinne | The Girl and the Spider
Encounters · Galas & Awards · Mar 05, 2021
Ramon Zürcher

Born in Aarberg, Switzerland in 1982. Between 2002 and 2005, he studied at the Bern University of the Arts with a focus on video. He went on to take a directing degree at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) from 2006 to 2014. His debut feature film The Strange Little Cat, which he made together with his brother, premiered in the Forum and has won several international awards.
Filmography
2007 Heute mag ich dieses Lied (Today I Like This Song); short film 2009 Reinhardtstraße; medium-length film 2010 Passanten (Passersby); short film 2011 Gestern hat sich meine Freundin ein Fahrrad gekauft (Yesterday My Friend Bought a Bike); short film 2013 Das merkwürdige Kätzchen (The Strange Little Cat) 2021 Das Mädchen und die Spinne (The Girl and the Spider)
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2021
Silvan Zürcher

Born in Aarberg, Switzerland in 1982. Between 2002 and 2008, he studied philosophy, film and German philology at the universities of Bern and Zurich. From 2009 to 2014, he took a degree in film production at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB). Together with his brother Ramon, he made his debut feature film The Strange Little Cat. In 2015, he participated in Berlinale Talents. The two brothers founded the Zürcher Film production company in 2017.
Filmography
2010 Zombie; short film 2013 Das merkwürdige Kätzchen (The Strange Little Cat) 2021 Das Mädchen und die Spinne (The Girl and the Spider)
Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2021