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Director Mateo Ybarra’s latest film, “Small Talk,” will debut at the Locarno Film Festival on August 11. The hybrid documentary-fiction feature follows a character named Charlie, portrayed by actress Hélène Bares, as she enrolls in a summer program at Switzerland’s sole remaining etiquette academy for women. Charlie’s motivation for attending stems from her ambitions to pursue a career in the luxury industry.
The film blends real participants with scripted elements, creating a unique viewing experience that examines themes of gender dynamics, social hierarchy, and women’s empowerment. Bares participated in the full six-week intensive course alongside actual students, and all individuals in the film appear as themselves. The institution, which has operated for over seven decades, offers its primary summer program exclusively to women, though it provides co-educational courses during other seasons.
According to Garance Targowla of Urban Sales, the film’s distinctive approach allows audiences to become emotionally invested in Charlie’s narrative while simultaneously observing the school through an anthropological lens. This dual perspective creates both entertainment value and thought-provoking questions about contemporary society. The production was helmed by Ybarra and Madeline Robert of L’Artifice, with co-production support from RTS Radio Télévision Suisse.
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Originally reported by Variety →
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