Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Die Schweizermacher

  • 1978
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Die Schweizermacher (1978)
SatireComedy

Foreigners who apply to become Swiss citizens have no easy task - especially when the police lets Bodmer loose to check upon their background, their integration in the society, and the possi... Read allForeigners who apply to become Swiss citizens have no easy task - especially when the police lets Bodmer loose to check upon their background, their integration in the society, and the possible danger they represent to the orderliness and cleanliness of the country. Bodmer gets a... Read allForeigners who apply to become Swiss citizens have no easy task - especially when the police lets Bodmer loose to check upon their background, their integration in the society, and the possible danger they represent to the orderliness and cleanliness of the country. Bodmer gets a new assistant to help him corner unsuitable applicants. Very soon, a couple of conformist... Read all

  • Director
    • Rolf Lyssy
  • Writers
    • Rolf Lyssy
    • Christa Maerker
  • Stars
    • Emil Steinberger
    • Walo Lüönd
    • Beatrice Kessler
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Rolf Lyssy
    • Writers
      • Rolf Lyssy
      • Christa Maerker
    • Stars
      • Emil Steinberger
      • Walo Lüönd
      • Beatrice Kessler
    • 12User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast27

    Edit
    Emil Steinberger
    • Moritz Fischer
    Walo Lüönd
    • Max Bodmer
    Beatrice Kessler
    Beatrice Kessler
    • Milena Vakulic
    Wolfgang Stendar
    • Dr. Helmut Starke
    Hilde Ziegler
    • Gertrud Starke
    Claudio Caramaschi
    • Franceso Grimolli
    Silvia Jost
    • Sandra Grimolli
    Ulrich Beck
    • Sprachlaborlehrer
    Josi Berlinger
    Gigi Bertolini
    Tino Bertrand
    Dore De Rosa
    Paul Epstein
    Aviva Joel
    Aviva Joel
    Monika Koch
    Bettina Lindtberg
    • Martha Grosz
    Werner Panzer
    Johannes Peyer
    • Director
      • Rolf Lyssy
    • Writers
      • Rolf Lyssy
      • Christa Maerker
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    7.11.2K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    8Ilde

    I loved it, and I'm proud to be Swiss

    This Film is very funny, it presents all the good and bad things of Switzerland: banks, watches, kindness, be neutral, be a bit closed minded and with a great attaccement to the traditions. The Story is very simple, we follow 2 people that must decide if some stranger can get the Swiss nationality. Full of amusing situation, with a strange love story, and full of "clichées" about swiss, italian, german,... people that can always bring a smile on the audience. It's the most popular Swiss film ever made, with about 1 Million visitors, it's a little number for the world movies, but very big for our country. Very amusing for all who knows a bit of the european culture or Switzerland
    9zutterjp48

    Touching,funny and satirical

    Two officials must decide if some foreigners living in Switzerland can get the Swiss nationality. I envoyed very much this film because it is full of tenderness, humour and critical sense. It's also the most popular Swiss film ever made: it was seen and appreciated in all the parts of Switzerland. A part of this success is due to the performance of Emil Steinberger as Moritz Fischer, the new assistant.Emil Steinberger (commonly called Emil in Switzerland) is a very famous comic comedian, for years he was stage-actor presenting his funny sketchs in Switzerland and Germany.Besides Emil Steinberger has worked as clown for many years in the Circus Knie and speaks perfectly French, so that the people of the French speaking part of Switzerland knows him quite well.
    7Billiam-4

    Hilarious and biting political satire

    Hilarious and biting political satire is mainly intended as a vehicle for the popular comedian Emil Steinberger, whose humor hits the point here, but may be a challenge for a foreign audience; to this day, the most successful Swiss film.
    10soundcheckinstitute

    One of the fine swiss movies

    The movie is still very up to date in terms of migration background and the difficulties of integrating. If the movie would be shot today it would definitely lack the political incorrectness, which is the essence of it all. Of course some of the finest swiss actors participate, giving it a unique touch One of my absolute all-time top favorite movie, and certainly one of those flicks you can watch over and over again.....play it again Sam. Oh yes a few other highlights of swiss flicks: Der schwarze Tanner, Höhenfeuer, Sonnyboy, and of course just recently released Sennentuntschi. Especially Sennentuntschi a combination of Thriller, Mysthic, and bloody Facts will be kept in mind.
    8bjacob

    Simple little comedy but very topical

    Hilarious with several laugh-out-loud moments, it's a biting satire on a topic that was unknown to me until recently. Simple, unpretentious, even unambitious, but extremely enjoyable, and a time capsule of the 70s.

    More like this

    Ocean with David Attenborough
    8.5
    Ocean with David Attenborough
    Matto regiert
    6.7
    Matto regiert
    Alpine Fire
    7.0
    Alpine Fire
    Bonjour Switzerland
    6.9
    Bonjour Switzerland
    The Salamander
    7.2
    The Salamander
    The Boat Is Full
    7.1
    The Boat Is Full
    The Fifth Seal
    8.5
    The Fifth Seal
    Late Bloomers
    7.0
    Late Bloomers
    My Life as a Zucchini
    7.8
    My Life as a Zucchini
    Mustang
    7.6
    Mustang
    The Indian Scarf
    6.6
    The Indian Scarf
    The Players
    5.5
    The Players

    Related interests

    Peter Sellers in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Satire
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 1970s the Yugoslav passport was one of the best in the world for travel. As stated in Munevera Hadzisehovic's book, "A Muslim Woman in Tito's Yugoslavia", the Yugoslav passport has been described as highly regarded and that with it immigrants were able to find jobs among European firms trading with the East and other countries. It was also described as 'one of the most convenient in the world, as it was one of the few with which a person could travel freely through both the East and West' during the cold war (Ruud Van Dijk's "Encyclopedia of the Cold War").
    • Connections
      References West Side Story (1961)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 12, 1979 (West Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • Switzerland
    • Official sites
      • Production's official site
      • Swiss Films page
    • Languages
      • German
      • Swiss German
      • Italian
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Swissmakers
    • Filming locations
      • Zürich, Kanton Zürich, Switzerland
    • Production company
      • T&C Film AG
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • CHF 925,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 47m(107 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.