Story Lab project at Locarno Film Festival

The Story Lab supported the development of Marina Klauser’s documentary series. The project is now complete and ready for audiences: we are delighted that ‘Der Engelmacher’ will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival and be screened as part of the Fuori Concorso section. Find out more here.

‘Der Engelmacher’, documentary series, 4 x 45 minutes

This four-part series tells the story of the Swiss religious community Methernitha and its founder, Paul Baumann, known as ‘Vatti’. For decades, he controlled every aspect of his members’ lives, down to the most intimate details. Girls were separated from their families at an early age and brought up to believe that they could develop spiritually to such an extent that they would become angels whilst still alive – a promise that Baumann exploited to systematically manipulate and abuse them. But over the years, resistance began to grow. The adolescent girls started to rebel and became courageous young women who, despite their fear and isolation, raised their voices and ultimately brought about ‘Vatti’s’ downfall.