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Heidi forever: Switzerland's most famous orphan is back

Philipp Jedicke / adDecember 3, 2015

Everyone knows at least one version of Heidi, the Swiss character created over 135 years ago - whether as a Japanese anime or as a little girl who interrupted a tight football game. Now Bruno Ganz stars in a new film.

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Heidi 2015, Copyright: Studiocanal
Image: Studiocanal

With his version of "Heidi," film director Alain Gsponer did his best to remain faithful to the original novels. Producer Lukas Hobi told the Swiss news agency SDA, that their goal was not to produce another sugarcoated home movie in the style of the 1950s, but a "classic, authentic" Heidi version. The Swiss part of the story was filmed in the Rhine Forest, in Bergün and in the Canton of Grisons, the German part in Quedlinburg in Saxony-Anhalt.

With her "Heidi" books, first published in 1880 and 1881, Swiss author Johanna Spyri immediately gained international acclaim. To this day, her novels, translated into more than 50 languages and turned into several film adaptations, continue to be a never-ending success. Heidi's adventures were adapted into numerous feature films and series.

The new film is released in Germany on December 10. Release dates for an English version have not been announced yet.

Back to nature - New "Heidi" movie