Hans im Glück – Drei Versuche, das Rauchen loszuwerden

HANS IM GLÜCK – DREI VERSUCHE, DAS RAUCHEN LOSZUWERDEN is Peter Liechti’s first film shot entirely digitally, a film about withdrawal by way of hiking. To quit smoking, Liechti walks from Zurich to St. Gallen three times, covering about 150 kilometers each time—without a daily itinerary, hotel reservations or appointments. With his DV camera, he explores eastern Switzerland, its Alpine landscapes and folk festivals, often focusing on his feet as they walk over branches, grass, rocks and, above all, gray asphalt. The washed-out digital images show chance companions and countless shots of animals and modes of transportation, accompanied by a first-person narrator reading from Liechti’s travel diary. His intelligently rambling thoughts have a contemplative quality, at times charming, at times morose and often tinged with subtle irony. As he walks, his thoughts take shape—a peripatetic exploration of the world that trusts in chance. (fh)