Züri brännt (film)


Züri brännt is a 1981 Swiss documentary film directed by the Swiss filmmakers Markus Sieber, Ronnie Wahli, Marcel Müller, Thomas Krempke. Beginning on 22 January 2015, the film was shown on occasion of the Solothurn Film Festival as one of the milestones of the Swiss film history.

Background

Züri brännt or Opernhauskrawalle, literally meaning "Zurich is burning", is the Swiss German term and generally used for the youth protests in May 1980 in the Swiss city of the same name, a municipality in the Canton of Zurich. Violent protests, against for that time extremely high cultural subventions by the city, who had neglected alternative governmental cultural programs for Zurich`s youth, occurred in 1980 during the so-called Opernhauskrawall, meaning riots or protests at the Zurich Opera House. The protests took place on 30/31 May 1980 at the Sechseläutenplatz square in Zurich, but also throughout the whole city, spreading to other municipalities of Switzerland in 1980 and again in 1981. These protests marked the beginning of the alternative youth movement in Switzerland. A first political compromise was the establishment of the AJZ, and the opening of the Rote Fabrik alternative cultural centre in Wollishofen in late 1980. Rote Fabrik still exists, and claims to be one of the most important alternative cultural places in the greater Zurich urban area. The most prominent politician involved was Emilie Lieberherr, then member of the city's executive authorities.
The documentary was based on the original black and white material filmed at the locations of the youth protests in May 1980 and afterwards. It was first aired on Swiss television SRF in May 2014.

Festivals