Starting today, December 8 

La Traviata, Tosca, Turandot are just a few of the well-known operas with impressive costumes. The costume department plays a major role in creating a memorable experience for thousands of opera fans. Daniele McCartan is our guest for the last Swiss Beach Talk of the year. She is the Costume Director of the San Francisco Opera, and she has a Swiss background as her mother is from Switzerland.

Consul General Balz Abplanalp talked to Daniele McCartan about the challenges and rewards of her remarkable work. What stories do fabrics tell? How much handwork is still involved in creating costumes for the opera? How sustainable are the costumes produced for these big productions? These are just a few questions Ms. McCartan answered.

Enjoy the Swiss Beach Talks on design, creativity, and beauty with Daniele McCartan from the SF Opera here.

Starting on December 8, 12:00 PM (PST)

The theme of the United Nations' International Mountain Day (IMD) on December 11, 2022 is Women Move Mountains.

Women play a key role in protection of the mountains and their social and economic development. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture, and experts in traditional medicine.

A PIECE OF SKY (2022)

DRII WINTER

By Michael Koch

Switzerland, 136 min.

The first Swiss film within the context of the International Mountain Day introduces Anna, who against all odds fights for Marco and their love.

In A PIECE OF SKY director Michael Koch tells an exceptional love story set against an imposing mountain backdrop: In a remote mountain village in the Swiss Alps, the budding love between Anna and Marco is put to the test. Anna grew up in the village, while Marco is an outsider who has been hired as a farmhand to work the rugged land. When Marco suddenly starts losing control over his impulses, age-old tensions in the community erupt again.

A PIECE OF SKY entered the race for Switzerland's nomination in the International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards. The film celebrated its world premiere in the International Competition at this year’s Berlinale.

The film screening is followed by a discussion with director Michael Koch.

COWS ON THE ROOF (2020)

By Aldo Gugolz

Documentary, Switzerland, 82 min.

Herdsman Fabiano will be a father soon. Being the owner of fifty goats and eight cows, he is trying his best to produce the Alpine cheese, with which his hippie parents made a name for themselves in the ’70s in an isolated valley of Ticino, Switzerland. But nothing is going the way it should. He is in debt, and he feels guilty for a fatal accident which occurred the previous year. How can he and his girlfriend build a life together under such difficult circumstances?

The film screening is followed by a discussion with director Aldo Gugolz.

Swissnex in San Francisco is looking for an Events & Operations Associate (EOA) to gain international experience and support its diverse programs serving next-generation innovators and leaders across education, research, innovation, and creativity.

Starting in March 2023, the EOA will assist in coordinating the successful production of all events taking place at Swissnex’s community space at Pier 17 in San Francisco, with the goal of learning to manage all aspects of event preparation and production. In addition to working on events, the EOA will learn and execute responsibilities related to Swissnex staff operations and Pier 17 facility concerns.

This 6-12 month long internship will prepare the selected candidate for a mid-level position in events management and/or organizational operations.

Visit the Swiss Business Hub USA at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and meet Swiss startups at the @swisstech pavillion booth #61344 at the Venetian Eureka Park.

The Swiss Business Hub USA is proud to present 24 startups in the fields of AR/VR, Cyber Security, HealthTech, BlockChain, AI, Audio/Video, and entertainment industries.

#swisstech #CES2023 #SBHUSA #CESwiss #WhySwitzerland.

The new Swiss passport is here! It not only meets the most recent standards for legal forms of identification, it also showcases Switzerland’s 26 cantons. Plus, for the first time, it features a page dedicated to our community of Swiss living abroad – take a look at it! 

and Happy Holidays...

The Settimane Ticinesi – Ticino Weeks were a big success! The event series starting from the photo exhibitions SWISS ROCKS and MOGHEGNO-MONTEREY, to the authors from Ticino at the Litquake Literature Festival, the film program at the Roxie Theater, the evening on sustainable tourism in Ticino by Switzerland Tourism and Ticino Tourism, and, last but not least, with Swissnex's peek into innovative Lugano, showcased the diversity of Ticino's past, present, and future.

Here is a retrospective in photos: