Small Talk

In early fall 2019, Geneva faces an unprecedented security crisis: the imminent attack by an anti-capitalist terrorist group known as the Global Liberation Front. The Swiss army is immediately called upon to assist the police force in containing the threat.

In the sweltering heat of summer, in the heart of the Swiss mountains, thousands of young scouts gather to take part in a historic camp. A place of adventure, initiation, and small rebellions, it’s where, for a few days, everyone grows at their own pace

Switzerland is one of the few European countries that still has mandatory military service. This film provides a glimpse behind the walls of the barracks, where soldiers participate in the required drills and exercises, but also find ways in which to alleviate boredom. We watch young recruits during daily activities: eating, cleaning, and video conversations with the surrounding world. However, the montage also includes the vlogs of men who have already completed their military training and share their experiences, anecdotes, and frustrations over the internet. In this way, the problematic aspects of a militarized society appear in between entertaining excerpts from military life.