General Sutter

General Sutter
General Sutter
Directed by	Benny Fasnacht
Written by	Caroline Felix Brun
Produced by	Benny Fasnacht
Starring	Hannes Schmidhauser; Wolfram Berger; Werner Bachofen; Rahman Deshongh; Raul Subia
Edited by	Jean Merrouche; Benny Fasnacht;
Music by	Philippe Blumenthal
Production; company	Fasnacht & Partner AG;
Release date	August 1999;
Running time	100 minutes
Country	Switzerland
Language	German

General Sutter is a 1999 Swiss historical film directed by Benny Fasnacht and written by Caroline Felix Brun. Starring Hannes Schmidhauser as John August Sutter and Wolfram Berger as Frank Buchser, it is framed around Buchser painting Sutter’s portrait in Washington in 1866, a year after the end of the American Civil War. The film premiered in August 1999 and was later screened at the Locarno Film Festival and the Solothurner Filmtage.^[1]^[2]

Synopsis

In Washington in June 1866, a year after the end of the American Civil War, the Swiss emigrant General Sutter sits for a portrait by Frank Buchser and recounts the story of his life. The film portrays Sutter as a controversial figure.^[1]

Cast

The cast includes:^[2]

Hannes Schmidhauser as John August Sutter
Wolfram Berger as Frank Buchser
Werner Bachofen
Rahman Deshongh
Raul Subia

Production

Key scenes from Sutter’s life were filmed on location in the United States and Switzerland. The film was made in collaboration with historians in California and Switzerland.^[2]

Background

John August Sutter, the subject of the film, was associated with the founding of California and the California gold rush.^[3] In recent years, his legacy has been reassessed because of his role in slavery and violence against Indigenous people.^[4]

Release and reception

The film had a pre-premiere in Basel on 19 August 1999. An SRF report on the event said that the film's idealized portrayal raised questions about the Sutter myth.^[5] It opened in German-speaking Switzerland on 23 April 2000 and recorded 899 admissions, all in German-speaking Switzerland.^[6]

Festival screenings

The film premiered in August 1999 and had festival screenings including the 52nd Locarno Film Festival in 1999 and the Solothurner Filmtage in 2000.^[1]

References

1 2 3 "General Sutter". Swiss Films (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.
1 2 3 "General Sutter". CineImage (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.
↑ "General Sutter". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 22 January 1988. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
↑ "Koloniale Vergangenheit - Baselbieter Politik hinterfragt die Heldenfigur General Sutter". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 27 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
↑ "Vorpremiere des Films "General Sutter" in Basel". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 20 August 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
↑ "General Sutter". ProCinema (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2026.

External links

[:0-1] 1 2 3 "General Sutter". Swiss Films (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 "General Sutter". CineImage (in German). Retrieved 21 March 2026.

[3] "General Sutter". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 22 January 1988. Retrieved 22 March 2026.

[4] "Koloniale Vergangenheit - Baselbieter Politik hinterfragt die Heldenfigur General Sutter". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 27 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2026.

[5] "Vorpremiere des Films "General Sutter" in Basel". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 20 August 1999. Retrieved 22 March 2026.

[6] "General Sutter". ProCinema (in German). Retrieved 22 March 2026.

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