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Lead actor Ursina Lardi shoots a scene with the production team at Terence Bay, Nova Scotia.
Image by Michael Tompkins, courtesy of C-films, Auguste Content.
SWITZERLAND-CANADA CO-PRODUCTION ON SWISS AIR FLIGHT 111 TRAGEDY COMMENCES PRODUCTION
Canada’s Kris Holden-Ried, Switzerland’s Ursina Lardi star with award-winning director Mauro Mueller at the helm of ‘111’.
September 23, 2024 (Halifax, NS) – Following the 26th anniversary of the SwissAir Flight 111 tragedy that plunged the world into mourning, production on the highly-anticipated drama ‘111’ commences on September 18, 2024 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On-screen talent includes award-winning Canadian actors Kris Holden-Ried (Departure) and Natalie Brown (The Strain), and Swiss actor Ursina Lardi (Lore) alongside an international cast. Filming will take place until the end of October 2024 in Nova Scotia, Canada as well as in Zurich, Switzerland and surrounding areas through October.
“The SwissAir 111 tragedy not only moved Nova Scotians into mourning,” says Canadian producer and CEO of Auguste Content, Ann Bernier, “it brought Canada, Switzerland and the world together as we united in the face of the unthinkable. ‘111’ is our opportunity to remember this important moment, not only in Canadian history, but in a history that crosses the ocean. We hope that this film can be an important reminder of the power of coming together across borders as well as honour the lives of those we lost.”
‘111’ revolves around the tragic crash of Swissair 111 into the cold waters of the Atlantic off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 2, 1998. It follows the stories of various characters whose lives are affected by the disaster while weaving together a message of hope amidst grief. ‘111’ forces us to grapple with tragic loss, inevitable grief and the question of life and its finiteness.
“For me as a frequent traveler, the crash of Swissair 111 over Halifax was a deeply moving experience,” says director-writer Mauro Mueller. “How life always manages to turn chance encounters into either beautiful, incisive and formative moments or - as in this case - to bring people together under the most tragic of circumstances who would never have crossed paths under “normal” circumstances is a phenomenon of life that fascinates me. We are not interested in developing a Boulvardesque disaster movie or retelling the tragedy one-to-one. On the one hand, our aim is to create a subtle, emotional homage to the strength in us humans to stand up to even the most adverse circumstances. On the other hand, this film is a gentle appeal to be grateful for what life gives us every day.”
The fate of flight SR 111 shocked Switzerland, Canada and the world. Making global headlines, the crash left mourning relationships and victims all over the world with a passenger list from 21 nations. The accident that dominated international press also launched a thorough technical investigation into the safety of the aircraft which resulted in the models modification and retrofitting in the hopes that another tragedy would never occur.
“‘111’ is “glocal” in the truest sense of the word - locally rooted and yet global. We are telling a Swiss tragedy in which more than two dozen nations were involved and which turned countless people's lives upside down,” says Anne Walser, producer and co-owner of C-Films. “The highly emotional, international story surrounding the crash of Swissair 111 seems to us to be the ideal material for the talented director, and winner of the Student Oscar, Mauro Mueller.”
111 will be released in cinemas in Switzerland by ASCOT ELITE ENTERTAINMENT, Elevation Pictures in Canada, with world sales handled by Global Screen, a Vuelta Group Company.
About Mauro Mueller (Director)
Swiss director and Student Oscar winner Mauro Mueller (‘Un Mundo para Raul’, ‘El Conserje’, ‘Wilder’), who is also responsible for the screenplay together with American Jennie Allen (‘Dear Chickens’), has assembled an outstanding cast in front of the camera for the film version of 111: Ursina Lardi (‘The Neighbours Upstairs’, ‘The White Ribbon’), Anatole Taubman (‘Zwingli’, ‘The Circle’), the two César winners Djebril Zonga (‘Les Miserables’) and Fathia Youssouf (‘Cuties’) as well as Canadian star Kris-Holden Ried (incl. ‘The Bridge’, 'The Tudors'), Natalie Brown (‘Ransom’, ‘The Strain’), Eric Keenleyside (‘Superman & Lois’) and many more.
About the Production
111 is a Treaty Switzerland/Canada co-production by Anne Walser from C-FILMS AG and Ann Bernier from the Nova Scotia/Canada-based company AUGUSTE CONTENT. Björn Hering, who had the idea for the film, and FIDELIO FILMS are also involved in the project as producers. Swiss partners include co-producer Schweizer Fernsehen SRF as well as the Zurich Film Foundation, the Federal Office of Culture, Suissimage among others. Canadian funders include, Telefilm Canada, Nova Scotia Film & Television Incentive Fund, the Screen Nova Scotia Content Creator Fund, and the Canadian Audio Visual Certification Office.
About Elevation Pictures
Founded in 2013 with finance partner Teddy Schwarzman of Black Bear, Elevation Pictures has become Canada’s leading entertainment company specializing in distribution and production. Elevation is known for releasing commercial and critically acclaimed films, including Academy Award-winning films The Imitation Game, Room, The Father, Moonlight, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. Most recent box office successes include Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Civil War starring Kirsten Dunst.
Elevation Pictures is also known for its strong slate of Canadian films, French Girl starring Vanessa Hudgens, BlackBerry starring Jay Baruchel, Irena’s Vow starring Sophie Nelisse and Elevation productions include Bonjour Tristesse starring Chloë Sevigny, Alice, Darling starring Anna Kendrick, Infinity Pool starring Alexander Skarsgard and A Good Person starring Florence Pugh. For more information, please visit elevationpictures.com
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