Bänz Isler

«Energy Pioneers» portrays two visionaries and their fellow campaigners as they fight to solving one of humanity’s most challenging problems. A film about obstacles, crises and the power of an idea.

1991, Riga Latvia. Lena, a child of divorced parents, escapes from home in the middle of the night when she is fed up with her fathers drinking habits. That's when her journey back home begins.

Daughters, sons, mothers and fathers want to break the decades-long silence in their families. They search for files, go to archives, rummage through documents and study photo albums. They come up against powerful authorities, prejudices, overburdened families and desperate struggles of mothers for their children.

The world strongest man learns how to embrace his mental health challenges by confronting his inner demons and dealing with his biggest failure to date which ultimately changes his life.

Deceased but not forgotten. In 2017, Switzerland's most famous mountaineer, "Swiss Machine" Ueli Steck, fell to his death in the Himalayas when he was just 40 years old. Three close friends travel again to the Everest region where he died. His family in Emmental has to deal with premature death.

At the far end of the Alaskan peninsula, for filmmaker Roman Droux a childhood dream comes true. He discovers together with the bear researcher David Bittner the universe of wild grizzlies. The two adventurists face bears at smelling-distance, experience the struggle for survival of a bear family and witness dramatic fighting scenes. Driven by a desire to explore the unknown the film tells a personal story of wilderness, framed in breathtaking pictures of unique creatures.

Anna and her rebellious daughter Lena live on the outskirts of Riga. Lena skips school and falls into dangerous circles. When her best friend dies of an overdose and Lena narrowly survives, they have to flee abroad to escape the police. They find refuge with Anna's cousin in Switzerland. But Lena's resistance jeopardises their new start.

After the death of his mother, Peter K. is threatened with eviction from her home where he cared for her. He struggles to defend his refuge from his estranged sister, the city government, and finally, armed po- lice. His conspiracy theories and writings spiral into a violent reality, making him a renegade celebrity. His growing fear and solitude bring on childhood nightmares, while his court battle reveals a dark family past.

For years, Antonio, a bricklayer, has fudged the books and paid his employee Victor under the table, but Covid causes his system to collapse. While at first he still wants to blame the system for his misery, he finally has to realise that he can only save his friendship with Victor and his relationship with his wife if he finally takes responsibility for his actions.

In this four-part documentary series, footballers with dual nationality describe what it means to give everything for a country and still have to prove that you belong. Manuel Akanji, Breel Embolo, Ivan Rakitić and Albian Hajdari offer an insight into a life straddling two cultures and talk about the choices they've made, loyalty and the price of belonging. And right in the thick of it: 17-year-old rising star Gonçalo, a goalkeeper at Grasshopper Club Zurich, who is only just beginning this journey.