Deep Dive: Brunaupark (2024)
Film Lens
Felix Hergert and Dominik Zietlow spent three years documenting the gradual transformation of Brunaupark, a housing complex comprising 405 recently renovated apartments in Zurich[1]. The Crédit Suisse pension fund's decision to demolish these functional buildings for a new property complex[2] becomes the catalyst for a broader examination of capitalist speculation versus community preservation. The directors employ what critics describe as "successful show-don't-tell style documentary that catches the vibe of this place solely through clever editing"[3], creating a meditative portrait that prioritizes lived experience over polemics.
The film's narrative thread follows Ciccio, a pizza maker who has operated a restaurant in Brunaupark for 28 years, serving as the symbolic heart of the neighborhood[4]. Through this character study and others, the documentary reveals how property speculation jeopardizes social structures essential for the survival of the weakest[5]. The film deliberately avoids sensationalism, instead presenting what one reviewer noted as "coolly unsentimental stance"[6] that some found distancing but others praised for its restraint.
Why Watch
- •Fits within the canon of German-language documentaries about Cold War tower block decline, alongside "Tscharniblues II" and "27 Storeys"[13]
- •Directors demonstrate empathy and patience in giving voice to people often deprived of one[14]
- •Documents residents' determination to resist what demolition implies: "the impossibility of finding a new affordable home in the context of a housing crisis"[15]
- •Captures "rare glimpses of an everyday-ness, which is always there but hard get behind a camera"[16]
Did You Know
•The production budget was estimated at CHF 400,000[7]
•This marks Dominik Zietlow's first feature-length documentary film[8]
•The directors are part of the Sabotage Collective from Zürich[9]
Perfect For
Documentary enthusiasts interested in urban sociologyViewers of Frederick Wiseman's institutional portraitsThose moved by community resistance narrativesAnyone following Swiss cinema's contemporary voices
Awards
•Jury Prize in the National Competition at Visions du Réel 2024, awarded by SRG SSR (CHF 15,000)[10]
•World premiere at Visions du Réel in April 2024[11]
•Festival description praised it as "a joyful and sensitive first feature film painting a portrait of an entire community"[12]
References
[1] cineuropa.org ↗[2] letterboxd.com ↗[3] letterboxd.com ↗[4] cineuropa.org ↗[5] cineuropa.org ↗[6] highonfilms.com ↗[7] imdb.com ↗[8] swissfilms.ch ↗[9] letterboxd.com ↗[10] businessdoceurope.com ↗[11] swissfilms.ch ↗[12] cineuropa.org ↗[13] letterboxd.com ↗[14] cineuropa.org ↗[15] visionsdureel.ch ↗[16] letterboxd.com ↗