no. 17/05 - GstaadLife print edition
no. 17/05 - GstaadLife print edition
no. 17/05 - GstaadLife print edition
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
GSTAADLIFE<br />
No. <strong>17</strong> 26 August 20<strong>05</strong> www.gstaadlife.ch<br />
Who are the Gemeinde?<br />
Guests, and even some residents, in Gstaad can<br />
often be overheard asking questions about the<br />
Gemeinde. This may be due to the fact that little<br />
is really said about the way that it works, as in<br />
such a small town most long-term residents<br />
either k<strong>no</strong>w or have served on it at some point<br />
in time. Or it may be because when protocol is<br />
made it is <strong>no</strong>t always made public, and if it is, it<br />
is usually in German. This is one of the reasons<br />
that we created <strong>GstaadLife</strong>, so <strong>no</strong>w its time to<br />
put our creation to its original use.<br />
To begin with, what exactly is the Gemeinde? How<br />
does it work? In Saanenland (located in Canton<br />
Bern) there are three subdivisions of independent<br />
municipalities (Gemeinden); Saanen, Gsteig and<br />
Lauenen. A Gemeinde is a clearly defined territorial<br />
authority which represents the residents<br />
of the area in which it has control. The capital<br />
of the district (which is called Amtsbezirk) is<br />
Saanen. Saanen is further divided into seven<br />
villages (Bäuerten); Abländschen, Bissen, Ebnit,<br />
Gruben, Grund, Gstaad, Kalberhöni, Saanen,<br />
Saanenmöser, Schönried and Turbach.<br />
The citizens of the Gemeinde vote for the representatives<br />
they wish to serve in the municipal<br />
IN THIS ISSUE<br />
Editorial by Alexandra de Scheel<br />
Giving what you’ve recieved<br />
PAGE 3<br />
News Around Gstaad<br />
Whats going on locally?<br />
PAGE 4<br />
Taki’s back!<br />
Read a<strong>no</strong>ther article from Taki.<br />
PAGE 5<br />
Our number one Gstaad hangout<br />
The ever amaying movie house<br />
PAGE 6<br />
Look into Gstaad<br />
A<strong>no</strong>ther story from the farm.<br />
PAGE 7<br />
Who governs this beautiful alpine land? How do they work? What are their plans?<br />
council (Gemeinderat). Each Gemeinde has its<br />
own constitution. Every four years, citizens<br />
vote for the members of the council and for its<br />
president. The right to serve in the assembly of<br />
the Gemeinde (Grosse Gemeinde) is available to<br />
any local Swiss citizen who has lived here for at<br />
least three months. This assembly is the highest<br />
authority at the local level, and they are responsible<br />
for ruling on all laws pertaining to the local<br />
community.<br />
If you would like to find out more information<br />
about who is currently serving on which committee<br />
or sub-committee of the Gemeinde then<br />
either go to www.saanen.ch or visit Gemeinde<br />
Building in Saanen and ask the receptionist.<br />
The most recent decisions made by the assembly<br />
of the Gemeinde occurred at the March meeting.<br />
These regarded various protocols. There were<br />
two main highlights of this event;<br />
1) Protocol point number five at the meeting<br />
concerned the new parking lot at the bottom<br />
of the Wasserngrat chairlift. In combination<br />
with the construction of the new fourseat<br />
chairlift, the Gemeinde gave permission<br />
for 185 parking places. 50 of which are<br />
at the bottom of the new lift and 135<br />
at the old bottom station in the Buemli.<br />
Now the plan is to increase the 50 parking<br />
spaces at the Bissen to 150 and keep a<strong>no</strong>ther<br />
35 at the old bottom station. There were<br />
two votes against this plan, but their<br />
problems with the project have since<br />
been solved. The voters have <strong>no</strong> further<br />
objection to this project and voted unanimously<br />
for it.<br />
2) Protocol point 8 was the credit for a maximum<br />
of CHF 2.7 million to secure the loan<br />
from the bank for the Saanen Hospital.<br />
This credit has a time limit until the 13 th<br />
December 2009. In the event that the Canton<br />
Bern does <strong>no</strong>t take over or a<strong>no</strong>ther way<br />
is found, there has to be a new solution<br />
for this credit <strong>no</strong> later than 6 months after<br />
the time limit.<br />
by Alexandra de Scheel<br />
1<br />
Photo made available
Your florist<br />
For all events!<br />
Promenade · 3780 Gstaad · Tel. 033 748 99 11<br />
www.wittwerblumen.ch · wittwer-fleurs@bluewin.ch<br />
GSTAAD – ROUGEMONT<br />
CHÂTEAU-D’OEX – GRUYERE<br />
CHALETS & APARTMENTS<br />
FOR SALE<br />
Compagnie Foncière SA<br />
1659 Rougemont<br />
Tél. +41 (0)26 925 10 00<br />
Fax. +41 (0)26 925 10 <strong>05</strong><br />
www.gstaadrealestate.com<br />
Müller · Gstaad
Spreading the wealth<br />
It’s <strong>no</strong> secret that many guests and residents<br />
of Gstaad have a certain amount of wealth.<br />
However, what is less obvious is how they<br />
choose to spend it. In many cases, it is quite<br />
humble, as a great deal spend their time and<br />
money on various worthy charitable causes.<br />
Some create their own, some prefer a handson<br />
approach, some graciously send financial<br />
aid to far off places in need, and some offer<br />
their help locally. The entire process of charity<br />
is one which I find particularly commendable<br />
and vital. If more people gave to those in need,<br />
there would be less people in need to give to.<br />
This seems evident e<strong>no</strong>ugh, and yet it is surprising<br />
how many people go through their<br />
whole lives hording and accumulating a fortune<br />
of their own, without giving a second<br />
thought to helping someone with less opportunity<br />
or possibility to do the same. There is <strong>no</strong><br />
reason to pass judgment on those who do <strong>no</strong>t<br />
give. However the fact that they are in the majority<br />
does emphasize the importance of those<br />
that do.<br />
It is often especiallyimportant<br />
to<br />
give back to<br />
the community<br />
in which you<br />
live. I wrote an<br />
editorial about<br />
local Gstaad<br />
charities last<br />
year to that effect.<br />
However, there are<br />
RELIABLE WEATHER<br />
Don’t forget to check page 2 of your<br />
Anzeiger von Saanen.<br />
MASTHEAD<br />
Editorial:<br />
Alexandra de Scheel alexandra.descheel@gstaadlife.ch<br />
Antoinette de Scheel antoinette.descheel@gstaadlife.ch<br />
Xavier Ferguson xavier.ferguson@gstaadlife.ch<br />
Frank Müller-Brand frank.mueller@gstaadlife.ch<br />
Marc Rome (Arts column) mr.rome@ukonline.co.uk<br />
Peter Kuntze-Schneider (Advertising)<br />
peter.kuntze@gstaadlife.ch<br />
Publishing, Conception, Printing:<br />
Müller Marketing & Druck AG, Gstaad<br />
Subscriptions:<br />
Tel. 033 748 88 74, Elsbeth Wyss<br />
Photo made available<br />
also many national Swiss charities which deserve<br />
a closer look. For example, the COMPASS Foundation<br />
is an independent and <strong>no</strong>n-profit organization<br />
that works to assist national governments<br />
and international organizations in areas of negotiations<br />
and mediation. It also provides help in<br />
training for problem-solving and negotiation<br />
with the aim of reaching peaceful solutions to<br />
combustible situations, and provides ideas and<br />
strategic concepts to help improve the eco<strong>no</strong>mic<br />
and social conditions of the underprivileged. A<strong>no</strong>ther<br />
example is Secours suisse d’hiver (Swiss<br />
Winter Help) which supports people in need all<br />
year round. It helps around 10,000 people<br />
through times of crisis through the provision of<br />
financial and material assistance. A<strong>no</strong>ther charitable<br />
angle would be the Swiss Solidarity Chain,<br />
which supports emergency operations for people<br />
affected by war or natural disasters through<br />
public donations. Or you could give to Vivamos<br />
Mejor, which is a private Swiss foundation without<br />
any political or religious affiliations. It is<br />
aimed at reducing poverty and ensuring longterm<br />
improvement in living conditions for the<br />
most disadvantaged social groups. On a very local<br />
level there is also the option of The Swiss Red<br />
Cross or Swiss Salvation Army; both follow same<br />
basic model as their counterparts in other countries,<br />
with their focus being national and internal.<br />
If you believe that there are causes abroad which<br />
need our attention more than local ones, Switzerland<br />
can still offer a charity to fit your belief.<br />
There are various relief organizations such as<br />
Caritas Suisse, EPER / HEKS or the Swiss<br />
Exhibition with a WOW effect<br />
Guy Le Baube generously donated one of<br />
his famous photographs to be auctioned<br />
off in favour of the “Fondation Lionel<br />
Perrier”, Charity Gala in Gstaad coming<br />
up in February 2006.<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Catholic Lenten Fund. There are also more wellk<strong>no</strong>wn<br />
charities such as Médecins Sans Frontières<br />
(MSF), which is the largest independent<br />
humanitarian medical aid agency. Iamaneh is<br />
a<strong>no</strong>ther option; it is part of an international network<br />
which supports other organization’s projects<br />
aimed at helping countries where the health<br />
of women and children is affected by poverty<br />
and war. Medair, which provides humanitarian<br />
assistance to remote and inaccessible countries<br />
affected by war or natural disaster, is yet a<strong>no</strong>ther<br />
in an infinite list of opportunities for charity in<br />
Switzerland.<br />
No matter which area you want to get involved in<br />
or what kind of charity is your preference, there<br />
is <strong>no</strong>thing that Swiss organizations don’t cover. If<br />
charity is something that you find important<br />
and/or enjoyable then you may as well look into<br />
the national and international ones we have right<br />
here. For more information on those mentioned<br />
and more, visit http://www.swisspolitics.org/en/<br />
and click on “Humanitarian tradition”.<br />
by Alexandra de Scheel<br />
Send your feedback and comments to talkingpoint@gstaad.ch<br />
Last Friday, a vernissage of a special kind,<br />
produced by Marion de Picciotto, took place at<br />
the “Comptoir d’Enhaut chez Tchou” in Rougemont.<br />
French born, award winning photographer<br />
Guy Le Baube had the in-crowd over to see<br />
his exciting and phe<strong>no</strong>menal photographs.<br />
Glamorous, sexy and erotic, Le Baube’s work, all<br />
in black and white, has a touch of the sexiness<br />
of H.Newton and the playfulness J-H Lartigue.<br />
Highly esteemed for his editorial work in fashion<br />
magazines, his photography has been seen in<br />
Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Elle etc...<br />
The artist has chosen to unveillled for us his very<br />
private & behind the scene work, <strong>no</strong>w lives<br />
between New York & Miami, is thrilled to see the<br />
visitors being ever so interested in his bold<br />
and witty work. The exhibition and sale of the<br />
artwork in Rougemont will continue to the end of<br />
this month. Susy Wolf<br />
Photos by Art Explsion<br />
3
Photo by Anne Pfeiffer<br />
Get your cows!<br />
The 26 th Hornberg auction of livestock took place on 13 th<br />
August 20<strong>05</strong>. It was a colourful event and a great example of<br />
folklore being lived and <strong>no</strong>t just put on for the benefit of<br />
tourists. 41 cows and heifers, i.e. young cows that have had<br />
<strong>no</strong>t more than one calf, were for sale. The animals could be<br />
inspected in the makeshift cow shed prior to the auction. The<br />
quality of a cow is gauged by the points it has been awarded,<br />
e.g. for its body and udder, and by the quality and the amount<br />
of milk she or her mother have already produced. 4.500 to<br />
5.000 litres of milk is considered a satisfactory amount for<br />
a Simmental cow, though other breeds can give 6.000 to even<br />
9.000 litres. The prices the animals fetched varied between<br />
CHF 2.600 and 5.000.<br />
by Anne Pfeiffer-Brechbühl<br />
EXHIBITION<br />
Swiss Romantic<br />
Rare Books<br />
Old and Modern<br />
Master Prints<br />
Presentation<br />
«The development of the early<br />
Swiss Romantic art» by<br />
Mrs. B. Laube<br />
21 August 20<strong>05</strong>, 06.00 p.m.<br />
followed by a Cocktail<br />
07.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m.<br />
Exhibition<br />
22 - 28 August 20<strong>05</strong><br />
11.00 a.m. - 01.00 p.m.<br />
06.00 p.m. - 11.00 p.m.<br />
August Laube<br />
Buch- und Kunstantiquariat<br />
Trittligasse 19 8001 Zürich<br />
Tel. +41 44 256 88 99 Fax. + 41 44<br />
The Gemeinde an<strong>no</strong>unces:<br />
The police of Bern wish to inform the Berner Oberland that the<br />
Pascal Richard bike tour will take place on 28th August. The 1,500<br />
participants are part professional and part hobby bikers. The short<br />
tour will reach Saanen at approximately 10 H and will continue via<br />
Schoenried to Saanenmöser, on to Zweisimmen, and then to Freiburg<br />
via Jaunpass. Participants taking the longer way will be coming<br />
the same day but via Col du Pillon and should reach Gsteig around<br />
11 H. Then the tour will continue via Gstaad-Saanen-Schoenried-<br />
Zweisimmen.<br />
The streets and roads are <strong>no</strong>t going to be closed during this event, but<br />
the drivers of vehicles in the area are asked to obey the orders of the organizers<br />
of the tour and the police.<br />
Polo: the results<br />
The first two to meet were teams Cadillac<br />
and Grand Hotel Bellevue. Following this,<br />
Cartier and Lufthansa Private Jet played later<br />
on. Cadillac assured it’s participation in<br />
the final once again with the winning score<br />
10:7,5. Cartier won with a score of 7:4,5. With<br />
these results, the teams playing the final on<br />
Sunday were the same as last year (Cadillac<br />
vs. Cartier), while Lufthansa went home with<br />
third place, and Grand Hotel Bellevue finished<br />
in last. Cadillac ended up winning the<br />
final with a score of 8:6,5 against Cartier.<br />
Provided by Polo<br />
CHURCH<br />
SERVICES<br />
Château-d’Oex:<br />
St. Peter’s English<br />
speaking Anglican<br />
Church<br />
Sunday<br />
28 August,<br />
<strong>17</strong>:30H<br />
Rev. Clive Atkinson,<br />
Evening Prayer
Taki – FYI<br />
Oh, how gloriously stable was life during the<br />
Cold War! Today we are alternately stimulated<br />
and frightened as we cling to the lid of<br />
Pandora’s Box. Bush and Blair call it a war,<br />
the French and Germans prefer to call it<br />
Islamist terrorism, and the Muslims like the<br />
word Intifada. Personally, my wish is for<br />
the Gstaad weather to improve because I’m<br />
about to lose my suntan, one which I acquired<br />
after a month on board my boat in the<br />
Greek islands. But seriously, remember how<br />
“peaceful” the world was during the Cold<br />
War? I covered the 1973 Yom Kippur war, a<br />
damn close run thing, which the Israelis<br />
won only because the Nixon administration<br />
poured aircraft and tanks into Israel replacing<br />
the devastating losses of material which the<br />
brilliantly executed Egyptian plan had inflicted<br />
on the Jewish state. During the second week<br />
I remember Henry Kissinger arriving in Tel<br />
Aviv and being mobbed by the Israelis.<br />
President Nixon, however, was the one who<br />
took the decision to go all out to save<br />
the Jews, and “to hell of what the Soviets<br />
might do.”<br />
Gstaad – Festival Tent<br />
London Symphony<br />
Orchestra with Conductor<br />
Colin Davis<br />
Fri 26.08.<strong>05</strong> 19:30 H<br />
033 748 83 33<br />
Gstaad – Festival Tent<br />
Carnaval des Animaux<br />
A spectacular fantasy of<br />
colour, sound and largescale<br />
animal puppetry to<br />
entertain children of 6 to<br />
18 years of age<br />
Sun 28.08.<strong>05</strong>, 16:30 H<br />
033 748 83 33<br />
Argentine Art –<br />
Bue<strong>no</strong>s Aires<br />
Museo de arte Moder<strong>no</strong><br />
Housed in a reconstructed<br />
tobacco storage building<br />
in the traditional San Telmo<br />
quarter. Contemporary<br />
Argentine art and works by<br />
outstanding international<br />
artists of the 20th century.<br />
Address: Av. San Juan<br />
350, Bue<strong>no</strong>s Aires.<br />
www.aamamba.org.ar<br />
Galerie wandelbar<br />
CULTURE<br />
Galerie wandelbar, Gstaad August 20<strong>05</strong><br />
This past Friday and Saturday saw the final<br />
vernissage for Galerie wandelbar. After over<br />
eight years of exhibitions, and the occasional<br />
high-spirited event, Harald Reichenbach and<br />
the team behind wandelbar have decided to<br />
move on to other ventures. As of October this<br />
year, a new gallerist will be renting three quarters<br />
of the existing gallery and the remaining<br />
quarter will become the new wandelbar Art International<br />
headquarters. The remit for this<br />
new organisation will be to bring high-profile<br />
international artists to Switzerland, mainly to<br />
Gstaad, and conversely to send Swiss or<br />
Switzerland-based artists to other parts of the<br />
world. Gstaad’s growing reputation as a place<br />
to view contemporary art strengthens the organisation’s<br />
belief that <strong>no</strong>w is the right time to<br />
make this move. Exhibitions will still take place<br />
but will be predominately linked to a visiting<br />
international artist or artist-in-residence.<br />
For further information call 0041 (0)33 744 22<br />
70 or email info@wandelbar-art.com<br />
contributions please contact: Marc Rome mr.rome@ukonline.co.uk<br />
Years later, while dining with Mr. Nixon in his<br />
New Jersey home, we discussed the Middle East.<br />
“Secretary Brezhnev put a lot of pressure on me<br />
to stop the airlift,” the ex-president said, “but I<br />
played crazy, talking like a hothead over the hot<br />
line, repeating time and again that this was our<br />
sphere of influence.” The trick worked, the Soviets<br />
stayed out, and the Israelis claimed a big victory.<br />
Actually, without the Americans, they<br />
would have had to use nuclear weapons, although<br />
I believe the Arab armies would have stopped<br />
after liberating the Golan Heights and the Sinai.<br />
Be that as it may, there is <strong>no</strong> question in my mind<br />
that the war against Islamist terrorism will <strong>no</strong>t be<br />
won until Uncle Sam is instrumental in brokering<br />
a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian<br />
problem. The US tilt towards Israel has been all<br />
too evident for years, and this imbalance fatally<br />
undermines Western claims of having virtue, justice,<br />
democracy, freedom and tolerance on their<br />
side. The Jewish vote in America is, of course,<br />
excessively one-sided, handcuffing Washington<br />
when it comes to playing honest broker. The Iraq<br />
War, needless to say, has made things far worse.<br />
Featured Hotels in Gstaad<br />
CULTURE<br />
Arabs are convinced that Uncle Sam and Johnny<br />
Bulldog are out to steal their oil under orders from<br />
the powerful Israeli Washington lobby.<br />
The trouble is that <strong>no</strong> American politician can survive<br />
while demanding an equitable stance where<br />
Israel is concerned. What is to be done? It’s an easy<br />
answer on paper. The Israelis have to realise that in<br />
the long run peace can only be achieved by giving<br />
the Palestinians the right to run their own country.<br />
And they are the only ones who can achieve that<br />
goal. For the moment, however, <strong>no</strong> Israeli politician<br />
can preach peace at all costs and survive.<br />
Post-war terrorism and insurgency was likely once<br />
America invaded Iraq, and the Israelis knew that<br />
from day one. Still, they strongly backed the war,<br />
hoping the mess in Iraq would lift the pressure<br />
from their own problems. The Gaza disengagement<br />
was a positive step. If Israel does <strong>no</strong>t use it as<br />
a ploy to build more illegal settlements in the West<br />
Bank, Israel wins the moral stakes. Let’s hope<br />
Sharon and his merry men see this. But it ain’t<br />
gonna be easy, that’s for sure. And I thought I had<br />
problems in Gstaad, the weather and my suntan.<br />
***** Palace Hotel Gstaad: La Grande Terrasse, Snack & Barbecue, Le Grill, The Lobby, Beauty&Spa,<br />
4 tennis courts, Olympic outdoor pool, and squash.<br />
Tel: 033 748 50 00, www.palace.ch<br />
***** Grand Hotel Bellevue, Gstaad: GaultMillau Hotel of Year 2003, 70 beds, 2,500 m 2 SPA, “Restaurant<br />
Prado”, “Restaurant “Coelho” with sun-terrace, “Bellevue-Bar”, “Porsche 911 Club”, “Car<strong>no</strong>tzet”.<br />
Tel: 033 748 00 00, www.bellevue-gstaad.ch<br />
***** Grand Hotel Park, Gstaad: 99 rooms, Spa/Fitness Centre, Restaurants: “Le Greenhouse”,<br />
“Die Pa<strong>no</strong>ramaterrasse”, “Le Grand Restaurant”, “Le Grill”, “Le Chalet Waldhuus”.<br />
Tel: 033 748 98 00, www.grandhotelpark.ch<br />
Friday 26 August until<br />
Thursday 2 September, 20<strong>05</strong><br />
by Taki Theodoracopulos<br />
Friday, 26 August<br />
19:30H, Tent-Festival INFO: 033 748 83 33<br />
Menuhin-Festival Eroica / London Symphony Orchestra<br />
20:45H, Folklore-Evening in Lauenen INFO: 033 765 30 12<br />
Entertainment and dance with the folklore-band<br />
Heinz Annen<br />
Saturday, 27 August<br />
19:30H, Tent-Festival INFO: 033 748 83 33<br />
Menuhin-Festival Hélène Grimaud / London Symphony Orchestra<br />
Sunday, 28 August<br />
09:00H, Fun-tournament INFO: 033 748 81 18<br />
Fun-tournament of Reit- and Fahrvereins<br />
Gstaad-Saanenland<br />
10:00H, La Pascal Richard INFO: 079 448 09 25<br />
8eme course populaire cycliste<br />
16:30H, Tent-Festival INFO: 033 748 83 33<br />
Menuhin-Festival – Carnaval des animaux<br />
Wednesday, 31 August<br />
09:00H, Alpine Dairy Tour INFO: 033 755 81 81<br />
Alpine cheese dairy tour with breakfast on the alp<br />
20:00H, Menuhin in Zweisimmen INFO: 033 748 83 38<br />
Kammermusikfest<br />
Thursday, 1 September<br />
20:00H, Improv in Gstaad INFO: 033 748 83 38<br />
Nocturne at 8<br />
events<br />
5
Photos made avaible<br />
INSIDE GSTAAD<br />
Going to the movies for 50 years<br />
The official Pink Panther World Premiere took place right here, and the streets of<br />
Gstaad were invaded by a sea of pink ribbons and bright stars.<br />
One staple in Gstaad has always been the old<br />
theatre house. It is one of everyone’s favorite<br />
hangouts, and probably will remain that way<br />
for decades to come. It is rare to see a unique<br />
movie theatre (almost an oxymoron) as most<br />
have the diversity of branches of Starbucks.<br />
But that is precisely the word to describe<br />
it; unique. Where else in the world can you<br />
still find the old-fashioned intermissions and<br />
comfortable seats coupled with the capacity to<br />
get the films in almost before they get wrapped?<br />
How on earth is it possible that a film, which has<br />
just had its premiere in America, hasn’t yet<br />
reached theatres in London, and hasn’t even been<br />
advertised yet in the rest of the world, manages to<br />
find its way to our little movie-house in Gstaad?<br />
How did this fusion of old-fashioned decorum<br />
and modern drive Come to be?<br />
It all began on 7 th August, fifty years ago. At this<br />
time the cinema was run by Leonie and Eugene<br />
Hagmann. Their movie house was one of last of<br />
its kind in Switzerland. Even before it was built,<br />
however, the Hagmann’s were the center of<br />
Gstaad’s fledgling movie business. Until this<br />
house was built in 1955, movies were shown<br />
either in Café Charlie, the Palace Hotel<br />
or Hotel Boo. With her old Chevrolet, Leonie<br />
transported the machinery needed from place to<br />
place and installed it.<br />
After the opening of ‘Ki<strong>no</strong> Gstaad’ they continued<br />
to move around with their production machinery<br />
and films for a<strong>no</strong>ther five years. Moritz Vonlanthen<br />
recalls that even in 1962, when he was only a<br />
teenager, he traveled with Mrs. Hagmann. He<br />
wanted to see all the movies and the under-age<br />
6<br />
censorship was strictly enforced by her and a<br />
policeman by the name of Luethi. Luethi never<br />
failed to show up for a production. Back then, if<br />
you were under the age of sixteen, you were <strong>no</strong>t<br />
allowed to enter the cinema. Mr. Vonlanthen<br />
quickly realized that there would only be one<br />
way to fill his appetite for film; to work for the<br />
Hagmanns. He took a job running the projector,<br />
and later went on to open an electric shop in Saanen<br />
(Vonlanthen) and was in charge of putting<br />
films into the projector for a<strong>no</strong>ther sixteen years.<br />
The time he remembers most fondly and vividly<br />
was the world premiere of the Pink Panther<br />
movie. That pink panther turned Gstaad into a<br />
pink happening. Moritz Vonlanthen recalls the<br />
event very well. MGM Studios wrapped the<br />
movie house in pink, the Berner Newspaper<br />
wrote on Friday 12 th September 1975, “Whole<br />
Gstaad was wrapped in 1,500 meters of pink<br />
paper, the street lights had pink light bulbs, the<br />
Palace Hotel was illuminated in pink and the<br />
pink foot <strong>print</strong>s on the zebra crossings long outlasted<br />
the yellow stripes. The Ki<strong>no</strong> itself was<br />
wrapped up like a great big pink present. The<br />
cost of this extravagant decoration was estimated<br />
at half a million Swiss francs, which was unheard<br />
of at that time. Among the many A-listers,<br />
Peter Sellers was <strong>no</strong>ticeably present.<br />
Back in those times the cinema was very popular<br />
with prominent actors and actresses. Regulars<br />
included Roman Polanski (who wanted to see<br />
his movie before it was released to the public),<br />
Liz Taylor and Gregory Peck. The price for a<br />
child’s ticket was CHF 1.70 and for adults<br />
CHF 2.90. As this was before the invention of the<br />
television, the movie house was always sold out.<br />
In the off-season locals enjoyed Swiss and German<br />
movies and as there were <strong>no</strong>t e<strong>no</strong>ugh chairs and<br />
<strong>no</strong> one was allowed to stand, many brought their<br />
own. In case the movie lasted longer than expected<br />
Leonie Hagman would call the station and tell<br />
the trains in both directions to wait.<br />
With the first TV antenna on the Hornberg, the<br />
movie house and its owners had to come up with<br />
new ideas. They decided to put a TV in the lobby<br />
to show the latest news, also a Variete (theater<br />
players) was always active during the intermission.<br />
The Ki<strong>no</strong> Gstaad was always k<strong>no</strong>wn for showing<br />
films sooner than anywhere else. This is due to<br />
the work of Max Gass. When Eugene Hagmann<br />
died 1976 at 80 years old it got very tough for<br />
Leonie Hagmann, who was living above the theater,<br />
to take care of all the contracts with various<br />
film productions. As a result, she eventually<br />
leased it to Max Gass, who has <strong>no</strong>w run it for a<br />
quarter century. It was always a mystery to<br />
everyone how Mr. Gass had managed to get the<br />
movies to Gstaad so quickly; you just read about<br />
their premieres in the States and before you<br />
knew it they were in Gstaad. By pure coincidence<br />
he ended up in Gstaad in 1980, and he was then<br />
the owner of various movie houses. He sat next<br />
to Mrs. Hagmann and after they started talking<br />
he became interested in taking over the Gstaad<br />
movie house. According to him it is much easier<br />
to get new movies <strong>no</strong>w-a-days, since there are<br />
many more copies of movies made available for<br />
distribution. Also, the film companies are very<br />
interested to get them distributed fast as they are<br />
put on DVD’s after a short period. According to<br />
Max Gass, his prime objective is to bring movies<br />
to Gstaad as fast as possible. And he has certainly<br />
been doing a fantastic job at that.<br />
by Alexandra de Scheel<br />
Send your feedback and comments to talkingpoint@gstaad.ch
Photos by Netti de Scheel<br />
At Dominik’s farm<br />
Dominik Matti.<br />
The owner of the<br />
farm, maker of the<br />
cheese, and your<br />
host should you<br />
choose a<strong>no</strong>ther<br />
real Swiss excursion<br />
to the farm.<br />
AROUND GSTAAD<br />
The «Obere Bodme» hut treats visitors to a new view of Gstaad. 24 hours in here and out comes cheese.<br />
For the past ten years, Dominik Matti has<br />
spent his summer days up in the farm with his<br />
cows. This year, he has been helped by Doris<br />
Vantenberghe from France and Valerie<br />
Walthert from New York in the lower hut called<br />
“Untere Bodme” from 10th July until 3rd August.<br />
Dominik is responsible for the care of 30 cows.<br />
He and his assistants produce cheese. Not just<br />
any cheese; the famous Hobelkaese. This is made<br />
in the form of a wheel and is pressed for twentyfour<br />
hours. After this procedure it is bathed in<br />
salt water for a<strong>no</strong>ther twenty-four hours. After this<br />
process, he stores the final product in the lower hut.<br />
On 3 rd August, Dominik moves to the higher hut<br />
which is called “Obere Bodme”. This is where<br />
Domink’s grandfather has already been taking<br />
care of the cows. In the winter, Dominik, who<br />
«Obere Bodme» hut, where<br />
Dominik is from10. Juy – 3. August.<br />
speaks English and French, transforms into a<br />
skiing instructor. But all summer long he will be<br />
up in the mountains tending to his cows and<br />
dairy creations.<br />
If you would like to go and visit Dominik, be sure<br />
to put on some walking shoes, take the Wispile<br />
Gondola to middle station, and then follow the<br />
sign to the Wiispile Restaurant. You will first<br />
pass the lower hut and then after an approximate<br />
thirty minute walk you will arrive at Dominik’s<br />
hut. Don’t be scared of the little barking dog, as<br />
it’s very friendly.<br />
In case you would prefer to walk down, you can<br />
take the gondola to the top, and once you exit<br />
take a left turn and follow the path until it brings<br />
you to the hut in approximately 10 minutes.<br />
You would be well advised to call Dominik a day<br />
ahead so that he can prepare his cheese, some<br />
local dry meat or whatever cold cut you wish.<br />
Please also let him k<strong>no</strong>w what your drinking<br />
wishes are. You won’t regret your excursion as<br />
the view is breathtaking; in front lies Gstaad, on<br />
the left you can see the Eggli, on the right you<br />
can see the Wildhorn and Lauenen.<br />
by ADS<br />
Send your feedback and comments to talkingpoint@gstaad.ch<br />
The cheese maker or more acurately the<br />
«Käsekessi».<br />
«Untere Bodme» hut, <strong>no</strong>t too bad either.<br />
INFORMATION<br />
Dominik Matti’s telephone number is:<br />
079 406 97 39<br />
Proudly making the finest Swiss cheese.<br />
7
��� � �� ������<br />
�������� ������� � ��������� � ���� ���� � ���� ������ � ���� ��� ����� ��� �� �� � ���������������