CEOInterviews.AIUnternehmerin und Produzent: Doris Fiala und Laurin Merz

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Announcer0:20

SRF1 Persönlich. Michel Schönbächler in conversation with guests.

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Michel Schönbächler0:39

Good morning! We are live at the Zurich Film Festival from the beautiful Festival Pavilion on the square.

Our guest is former National Councillor and entrepreneur Doris Fiala. You traveled to Zurich yesterday, where you grew up. What does it feel like to be back here?

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Doris Fiala1:22

I live in the countryside with my partner, but Zurich is home. Right now the trees are turning yellow and red, it's a place of strength. But Zurich is where I was born and raised, my childhood and friends are here. I'm a big fan of the city.

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Michel Schönbächler2:07

Our second guest this morning is filmmaker Laurin Merz. He is showing the premiere of his film here. Good morning, Laurin.

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Laurin Merz2:34

Good morning. My film is called 'Achilles'. It's about a pug that was rescued from a circus. We found him a home and now he's part of our family.

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Michel Schönbächler5:59

You are President of Pro Cinema. If you were to give a title to this film, what would it be?

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Doris Fiala6:28

'Moved' is a good word. I have been widowed, and my political work in the Council of Europe has been very moving. You see terrible things that make you humble and remind you how valuable our democracy is.

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Michel Schönbächler7:44

Laurin, what would you call your film?

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Laurin Merz7:49

I would say 'Laurin Merz, Filmer'. Because I've always filmed, starting with a cardboard camera. Also 'Moved' and 'Happy' because my travels in Africa humble me, and I'm happy with my family.

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Michel Schönbächler9:44

Laurin, you grew up in a conservative village with intellectual parents. What kind of family was that?

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Laurin Merz9:49

It was lively. I had a wonderful, free childhood in the forest. And I played handball intensively, which left me with crooked fingers.

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Michel Schönbächler11:41

Doris, what did you take from your childhood?

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Doris Fiala11:46

A fantastic sister eight years younger, and a household always open to friends and intense discussions. That social aspect is very important to me.

My mother shaped me with resilience. One of my grandfathers was a Verdingbub (indentured child), and seeing the film 'Verdingbub' in cinema brought me to tears. It's one of the greatest works I've seen.

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Michel Schönbächler15:56

Laurin, your film premieres today and is about illegal animal trade. Why is it so important?

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Laurin Merz16:27

Many things are forgotten. In 'Tiger Mafia' we exposed how tigers are bred for traditional medicine. Now we show elephant smuggling: 22 elephants flown in a cargo plane from Namibia to the Arab Emirates. With enough money, anything is possible.

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Michel Schönbächler18:39

What emotions do you feel telling that story?

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Laurin Merz18:47

Inequality in the world fills me. But professionally I stay calm. I know what the images do; in private I am more emotional.

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Michel Schönbächler20:52

Doris, you were in the Council of Europe for 12 years, including as an election observer. How did you deal with the emotions there?

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Doris Fiala21:20

One wants to contribute. I saw a women's prison where refugee women were held, allowed on the roof only twice a day. That should make us in Switzerland humble and treasure our democracy and voting rights.

I've been with Animal Trust for years. Your film 'Tiger Mafia' deeply moved me. I recommend it to everyone.

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Michel Schönbächler24:16

Laurin, you mentioned the 'Box of Horrors' (Schachtel des Grauens). What is it?

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Laurin Merz24:38

We bought a tiger cake in a Chinese apothecary in Laos. It cost 1000 francs and contained real tiger DNA. Another item is schnapps with tiger blood. People hope for potency, but it causes immense animal suffering.

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Michel Schönbächler27:06

Doris, tell us about your seat neighbor in the Council of Europe.

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Doris Fiala27:28

I sat next to a Russian delegate. During a vote on Russia, he saw I voted differently and got angry. Later we introduced ourselves and discovered he was a world champion gymnast. We ended up having dinner together and became friends. That's how people from different countries can bond over common values.

Idealism is needed in politics. When you see what happens in Israel and Palestine, it moves you. Whether you are an Israeli or Palestinian mother, losing a loved one is an abyss of pain. We must try to contribute, however small.

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Michel Schönbächler31:11

You started in politics early, but originally you attended hotel school and didn't finish. Why?

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Doris Fiala31:35

In my first internship at a five-star hotel, I was not allowed to serve guests, only clear plates, because I was a woman. I realized that as a woman with a hotel school diploma, I wouldn't advance. So I quit and later worked in tourism. I also applied for a job as travel bureau chief and was asked: 'How do you imagine that?' That's how it was back then.

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Michel Schönbächler35:11

Laurin, you started in radio early.

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Laurin Merz35:25

I wanted to make radio programs, not moderate. I made a report about a junkie house, and after a long battle, it became a one-hour piece. That led to a career in radio and later television.

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Michel Schönbächler40:33

Doris, you had a special job: working with recipes?

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Doris Fiala40:47

A friend introduced me to a health food store, and I started developing recipes for kids and doing cooking events. I love cooking and good conversations.

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Michel Schönbächler43:22

You mentioned your first husband, a chemist, who died after a long illness. What did you take from that?

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Doris Fiala44:03

His father was a Holocaust survivor, and we joked he had the 'epigenetic fighting gene'. His positive attitude in the face of illness taught me that even after loss, life moves forward. Now with my partner Armin Walpen, I find an incredible companion.

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Michel Schönbächler47:19

Laurin, you said your partner Nadia is very beautiful to you. Tell us about that.

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Laurin Merz47:33

We met at a birthday party. She was two hours late for our first date, but it's been wonderful ever since. She is my calm pole, and I am her talkative counterpart. She is my most important conversation partner.

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Michel Schönbächler49:14

Thank you both for being here. I wish you a wonderful time at the festival.

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Announcer50:07

SRF1 Persönlich live from the Zurich Film Festival with Michel Schönbächler and guests Doris Fiala and Laurin Merz. The program can be heard again online at srf.ch/persoenlich.