Tanner (German: Der schwarze Tanner) is a 1985 Swiss drama film directed by Xavier Koller and based on Meinrad InglinâÂÂs story of the same name. Set in Switzerland during the Second World War, it follows the mountain farmer Kaspar Tanner as he resists official orders to convert pastureland into cropland. In 1986, the film received several awards and was the Swiss entry for the Academy Awards.
In 1941, during the Second World War, Kaspar Tanner runs the Gschwend mountain farm with his family in Switzerland. When the authorities order him to convert part of his mountain meadows into arable land, Tanner resists what he sees as interference in his way of life. As his position hardens, he becomes isolated, returns to self-sufficient farming in the manner of his ancestors, and is eventually imprisoned after becoming involved in black-market trading.
The cast includes:
The film was based on Meinrad InglinâÂÂs story Der schwarze Tanner, about the Schwyz mountain farmer Kaspar Tanner, who refuses during the Second World War to turn pastureland into cropland as ordered by the authorities. It was shot in 1985 in Muotathal, Bisisthal, Ibach, and Schwyz, and was produced in Switzerland, West Germany, and Austria.
In 1986, the film received the National Award of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, won at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, received the FIPRESCI Award at the Montreal Film Festival, and was the Swiss entry for the Academy Awards.
A review quoted by Filmpodium described the filmâÂÂs visual language as vital and sensuous, and argued that Xavier Koller partly detached InglinâÂÂs story from its historical setting in order to update the figure of Tanner. In a 2020 commentary, Tages-Anzeiger compared Kaspar TannerâÂÂs resistance to official wartime directives with public reactions to coronavirus lockdown measures in Switzerland. Filmdienst described the film as a restrained political drama about individual resistance and human dignity, and praised its performances and its calm, controlled direction and cinematography. Cinema.de described the film as an impressive study of civil disobedience and praised its performances and atmosphere.
The film premiered in January 1986, and later festival screenings included the 29th Haifa International Film Festival in 2013.