Masterclass with Petra Volpe:
Cinema of Care, told from Switzerland to the world
The Migros Culture Percentage Story Lab is organising a masterclass at the Locarno Film Festival. On Saturday 8 August 2026, director and screenwriter Petra Volpe will offer insights into her work; the discussion will be moderated by AC Coppens.
In her films, Petra Volpe explores social injustice and systemic injustices in depth: she aims to shine a spotlight on places that would otherwise remain invisible. For Volpe, cinema is a ‘medium of empathy’, and through her films she explores what shapes human relationships – particularly between people in unequal positions. Within what tension do attention and care unfold? Building on this, the masterclass is designed to take place on an equal footing: the discussion will not take place on stage, but in the centre of a circle. We invite the audience to ask questions and contribute their own perspectives. The masterclass is aimed at participants of the Locarno BaseCamp Academy (see below).
About Petra Volpe
Petra Volpe lives and works in Berlin and New York. The Swiss-Italian screenwriter and director has been working as a freelancer in the film industry since 2001: in 2017, she received the Swiss Film Award for the screenplay for “Die göttliche Ordnung”. Petra Volpe also wrote the screenplay for the film “Heidi” (2015) and for the SRF series “Frieden” (2020). Her feature film “Heldin” won the Swiss Film Award for Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay in 2026 and made it onto the Oscar shortlist. Her latest film, “Frank & Louis”, is a US prison drama and marks her English-language debut.
The Migros Culture Percentage Story Lab is a partner of “BaseCamp” for the fifth time. Launched in 2019, this project offers young film-makers an opportunity to immerse themselves in the Locarno Film Festival for eleven days and make new contacts within the industry. This year’s edition of the programme, called “A Promise to Respect”, brings together 200 up-and-coming international talents. The filmmakers supported by the Migros Culture Percentage Story Lab have the opportunity to be part of the programme every year.
