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Beresina, or the Last Days of Switzerland

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Wikipedia article




'Beresina, or the Last Days of Switzerland' is a 1999 satiric comedy film by Swiss director Daniel Schmid. It chronicles the story of Irina, a Russian call girl arriving in Switzerland, whose innocent attempt to live the high life there triggers an unintended 'coup d'tat' in the country. The title 'Beresina' refers to the 'Beresinalied', a patriotic song used as the code for initiating the putsch.

The film is a black comedy where all aspects of Swiss life are satirized in anecdotes. The heroine deals with a retired P-26 officer who appears as her false "sponsor" and various sexual perverts at the top of Swiss social hierarchy. Their attitudes to immigrants are also depicted ironically. Even the national identity and modern history of Switzerland are caricaturized in the country's first ever 'coup d'tat' sequences. The film culminates with Irina's coronation as Queen of Switzerland.

'Beresina' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

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Reception



The film was praised by 'Variety', where Schmid "applies his wicked sense of humour", to create a "rollicking socio-political farce that roasts just about everyone in power." The review also explained how Schmid uses "black humour to expose Swiss high society as a hypocritical facade hiding secrets from money-laundering to pimping, with the banks involved in absolutely everything."Young, Deborah. 'Beresina, or the Last Days of Switzerland'. Variety. 7 June 1999. p. 29

References




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