La Salamandre – 1971
Director
Alain Tanners

Writers
John Berger
Alain Tanner

Cast
Bulle Ogier
Jean-Luc Bideau
Jacques Denis
Review by Felix Bucher

Among the films of the recent upsurge of the Young Swiss cinema, I find Alain Tanner’s La Salamandre by far the most interesting work, for its masterly story-telling as well as its relevance to the Swiss
situation and the world outside.

The title refers to the character of the girl-who is the principal figure in the film. and who cannot find a way of reallY acquainting herself wiih life, either in her various professions or in love. Two men, TV reporters, endeavour to penetrate her character and mind but they are left as puzzled as the girl herself.

The great quality of the film is, of course, its humour, which gives a certain kind of
alienation to the very real problems of contemporary life which Tanner is depicting.