Bell Ursli (2015)

Movie
Original title	Bell Ursli
Country of production	Switzerland
original language	Bündnerdeutsch
Publishing year	2015
length	105 minutes
Age rating	FSK 0
Rod
Director	Xavier Koller
script	Stefan Jäger , ; Xavier Koller
production	Peter Reichenbach , ; Ditti Bürgin-Brook
music	Martin Tillman
camera	Felix von Muralt
cut	Gion-Reto Killias
occupation
	Jonas Hartmann: Uorsin (Schellen-Ursli); Julia Jeker: Seraina; Laurin Michael: Roman; Marcus Signer : Linard; Tonia Maria Zindel : Luisa; Leonardo Nigro : Armon; Martin Rapold : Paul; Sarah Sophia Meyer : Annina; Andrea Zogg : Pastor; Peter Jecklin : Teacher; René Schnoz : Gian; Herbert Leiser : Giacomin;

Schellen-Ursli is a film by the Swiss director Xavier Koller from 2015 . The songwriter Linard Bardill from Graubünden wrote the title song "D'Flügel wo du mier häsch go" .

production

The film was produced by C-Films AG and La Siala Entertainment. The shooting took place from the end of September 2014 to the end of February 2015. The film was presented to the public at a pre-premiere in Chur on October 3, 2015, and the cinema release in German-speaking Switzerland took place on October 15, 2015 (in Austria on March 18, 2016, Germany on March 24, 2016). The costs amounted to CHF 5.6 million.

action

The plot is based on the picture book Schellen-Ursli by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet from 1945. The story takes place in the small village of Guarda in the Lower Engadine . Since the actual plot of the book was too little for the length of a feature film, the story of Stefan Jäger and Xavier Koller was expanded to include essential parts; the bell story told in the book only takes place in the last 20 minutes of the film.

Uorsin ( Romansh for Urs ) has to help his parents with their work on the alp in summer. He is friends with Seraina, who is the same age and who also spends the summer with her parents in the nearby Maiensäss. His kid Zilla is his pride and joy. When the wealthy shopkeeper Armon and his son Roman visit the alp, it turns out that Uorsin's family owes him. Since part of the harvest is lost on the descent to the Alps, repayment is out of the question and the family faces a winter full of privation. Armon wants to take advantage of the family's plight to get to the alp that he has been keeping an eye on for a long time. He also insists that his son receive Uorsin's kid.

When Uorsin received the smallest bell from all the boys for the traditional Chalandamarz parade at the beginning of March, he decided to climb up to the Maiensäss alone in the deep snow to fetch the huge bell that hangs in the alpine hut. Despite the many dangers, Ursli succeeds in the adventure and he returns safely from the Maiensäss with the big bell and is allowed to lead the parade as the hero of the village.

The film has fairytale-like or fantastic features in places, such as the rescue of the title hero, who was buried by an avalanche, by a wolf or the descent on the bell. Dated around 1900 (early days of the Rhaetian Railway ), it shows some anachronisms, such as the use of battery-operated flashlights.

actor

The main role is played by the eleven-year-old Jonas Hartmann (born January 20, 2003 in Chur) from Churwalden . His girlfriend Seraina is portrayed by Julia Jeker from Schiers (born March 24, 2003 in Schiers), his opponent is Roman, played by Laurin Michael (born July 6, 2003 in Thusis ) from Andeer . Some roles could be cast with actors from Graubünden, for example with Tonia Maria Zindel , Andrea Zogg and René Schnoz . Marcus Signer , who played the leading role in “Der Goalie bin ig” in 2014, embodies Ursli's father Linard. Not Schlegel, who played the role of Schellen-Ursli in the American film adaptation of Ernst A. Heiniger from 1953 , had a supporting role as a shepherd .

Filming

Since the village of Guarda, which was visited by numerous tourists, was not suitable for the extensive filming, a large part of the film was shot in the hamlet of Sur En on the opposite side of the valley from the village of Ardez . The small village has been expanded to include a few deceptively real-looking buildings; So the house, or rather its facade, was recreated with Armon's shop on a small meadow between two houses. Ursli's family's house was built a little outside the village.

Sur En, location of the shooting
To the right of the fir tree in the middle distance was the house of Schellen-Ursli's family. In the background the village of Guarda.
Armon's shop was built on this little meadow
The only street in
Sur En