How is it possible to explain administrative detention and how can people deal with this past today? What meaning does the rehabilitation of victims have? These were the topics of the exchanges that the IEC had with people who were subjected to administrative detention and other compulsory welfare measures. The result was a short film (39’).

The ten women and men interviewed talk as experts, because they experienced these measures directly. They were subjected to custody arrangements and locked away in homes, institutions, prisons, a factory and a mental hospital. Today they are committed to reassessing the past and to keeping its memory alive.

During the shooting of the film, the interviewees led the IEC’s film team to places that play an important role for them in reassessing administrative detention or dealing personally with the topic. The varied choice of locations gave origin to a series of «memorial sites» of administrative detention in Switzerland.

To the trailer.

Interviewees (in alphabetical order)

Marina Byrde, Daniel Cevey, Sergio Devecchi, Erna Eugster, Liliane Gremion, Giovanni Mora, Patrick Plancherel, Rolf-Horst Seiler, Heini Steiner, Marianne Steiner

Visited locations (in alphabetical order)

Cantonal Court of justice for coercive measures, Amthaus Bern, Bern (BE)
Centre for professional orientation and training (COFOP), Lausanne (VD)
Correctional labour facility Bitzi, Mosnang (SG)
Correctional labour facility Kalchrain, Kalchrain (TG)
Federal Square, Bern (BE)
Hindelbank Prison, Hindelbank (BE)
Mental hospital of Cery, Prilly (VD)
Parliament of the Canton Vaud, Lausanne (VD)
School of the «Gott hilft» Foundation, Zizers (GR)
Site of the old clock and watch factory Adolph Schild AG, Grenchen (SO)
Woods by Chessiloch (BL)

Shooting and postproduction
Christoph Walther, trinipix GmbH