RETREAT (2022) by Leon Schwitter
Drama Suspense 82'
Switzerland Swiss German with English Subs
Awards FIPRESCI Prize - 32. Filmkunstfest 2023, Golden Alexander Prix - Film Forward, Thessaloniki 2022
Festivals Festival Augenblick 23, Black Canvas 23, Zlin 23, Seattle 23, Filmkunstfest 23, Santa Barbara IFF 23, Filmfestival Max Ophüls Preis 23, Solothurner Filmtage 23, Thessaloniki 22 WP Mar de Plata 2022

A father and son vacation trip slowly turns into an abduction from the collapsing outside world.

On a holiday in the mountains, an estranged father and son get to know each other better. Sheltered by the rocky landscape, Michael believes that he and his son are safe from the outside world, which is crumbling under the impact of environmental destruction and economic crises.


''Meticulously crafted and impressively mature debut

with a suspense-heavy plot and universal themes''

- The Film Verdict


''Stinging and disturbing''

- Cinefilo


''Small and thrilling drama that riffs on the world as we know it''

- Micropsia


Director's Statement:
We have to ask ourselves questions about our lives and the lives of future generations. It would take a global paradigm shift to make our society sustainable and future-proof. Means giving up comfort and privileges. While some seek access to nature and strive for a life with fewer resources, others see humanity at a fragile point and have already given up hope in a collective solution as doomsday preppers. The myth of the mountains as a place of retreat is deeply rooted in Swiss history where a small percentage of society would have retreated in the event of an invasion. The name of these bunkers was Réduit national. backdrop the story of a distant father-son relationship.