Schwyz filmmaker brings wolf conflict film to Locarno

Swiss broadcaster SRF reported that filmmaker Lars Mulle is showing his short film zrugg at the Locarno Film Festival. The 31 year old director said he was nervous but delighted to attend one of his favourite festivals.

Mulle grew up in the canton of Schwyz, where he also filmed the nearly 14 minute fiction film. It follows a wildlife ranger searching for a wolf to shoot after it attacks a herd of cattle.

The wolf has fascinated Mulle since childhood. Growing up in a rural region, he regularly heard reports of wolves in the area and was disappointed whenever one was approved for shooting, he said.

The subject remains controversial in Schwyz. Mulle and his team worked closely with local residents during filming, including on a farmer’s property. The farmer also appeared in the film and improvised a scene in which he discusses the wolf in a broad Schwyz dialect, portraying it almost like a serious criminal.

Mulle said the production gave him a better understanding of farmers’ concerns, although he still tends to sympathise with the wolf. His main interest, however, was less which side was right than what the conflict revealed about people.

The wildlife ranger is portrayed as a technologically equipped hunter who uses microphones, wildlife cameras and drones to track the animal. Mulle incorporated footage from these devices into the film to emphasise the imbalance between humans and wolves. While hunting was once an archaic undertaking in which humans and animals were more evenly matched, he said, the wolf now has little chance against modern technology.

zrugg is a quiet film with a poetic quality. It was produced by Central Swiss filmmaker Thomas Horat and financed partly with funding from the canton of Schwyz. The film premiered in Locarno on Friday evening.