Miscellaneous Documentary about collector Bruno Stefanini opens Solothurn Film Festival

The 60th edition of the Solothurn Film Festival will open in January with the documentary "The Legacy of Bruno Stefanini". The film by Thomas Haemmerli interweaves contemporary history and the rise of the Winterthur native to become a major collector worth billions.

The documentary film impressively tells the story of an extraordinary biography, said Artistic Director Niccolò Castelli in a press release issued by the Solothurn Film Festival on Wednesday. Bruno Stefanini from Winterthur, who was born in 1924 and died in 2018, had an impressive life: from the son of an immigrant, he became a building contractor and collector. He hoarded art, castles and curious objects, including the underpants of Empress Sisi.

According to the press release, the film also tells a social story. It sheds light on the biography in the context of the Cold War and the prohibition of concubinage.

Stefanini was also a real estate tycoon. Because he let his properties run down, the term "Stefanini House" became established in Winterthur. Comedian Viktor Giacobbo also lived in a "Stefanini house". Or former Federal Councillor and collector Christoph Blocher fought with Stefanini over the rental deposit of an apartment and later bought works by Albert Anker together with him at auction. The Solothurn Film Festival referred to all these incidents in its press release.

The case of a manic collector with practically unlimited means fascinated director Haemmerli about Stefanini, he was quoted as saying. Haemmerli is a non-fiction author and is known for the documentaries "Die Gentrifizierung bin ich" and "Sieben Mulden und eine Leiche" ("Seven Troughs and a Corpse"), about his messie mother.

"The Legacy of Bruno Stefanini" will celebrate its world premiere at the opening of the Solothurn Film Festival on January 22, 2025. Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is expected to attend as guest of honor. The anniversary edition of the film festival runs until January 29.

SDA