Dear fellow Swiss citizens,

Dear friends of Switzerland,

On this day of Halloween, we look back on a busy autumn in the Consulate’s activities. First and foremost, we organized a large series of events celebrating the 20-Year Jubilee of the Sister City Partnership between Zurich and San Francisco honoring the main past, present, and future bridge builders and connectors between the two cities. Of course, the protagonists of this Jubilee were The Honorable Corine Mauch, Mayor of the City of Zurich, and The Honorable London Breed, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, who attended the gala dinner where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the renewed partnership. The bridge builders came together from diverse fields, such as business (including our sponsor Swiss International Air Lines, which provides direct flight connections between ZRH and SFO), arts and culture, technology and innovation, transport, society, health policy, and, last but not least, gastronomy. By creating this festival-type event, and thanks to the magnificent Zurich tram running through San Francisco, Zurich and Switzerland left a festive mark on the city of San Francisco. Let me thank all of our partners and friends involved in this great effort, especially the San Francisco-Zurich Sister City Committee and, of course, the team at the Consulate who have done a great job.

On another note, the Consulate has also worked on leaving its mark by promoting Swiss-style apprenticeships in a number of the U.S. States in its consular district. Many of these States discover Switzerland’s dual education system as an inspiration and model to upskill their workforce and look for advice from and partnerships with our country. These partnerships will finally also benefit from the fast-growing number of Swiss companies in the United States which need a properly skilled workforce. Throughout this year, I have had the opportunity to discuss Swiss expertise and best practices in this field with U.S. State officials, economic promotion organizations, as well as Swiss companies in Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and Washington. In Arizona’s case, Switzerland’s apprenticeship model was at the origin of the newly created Arizona Education Economic Commission, whose objective it is to quickly upskill its young workforce with a broad offer of business-based trainings. The launch of the Commission on October 12 in Phoenix under the Swiss patronage was a great opportunity for me to strengthen this partnership.

Later in October, we had the pleasure of welcoming at the Consulate a group of 30 Swiss IT apprentices who shared their experiences of their project work with businesses in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. These are our future bridge builders in what we call twenty-first century Swiss-style apprenticeships!

Last month, the Consulate General of Switzerland celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Sister City Partnership between San Francisco and Zurich. The festivities took the form of a series of events that ranged from musical performances, to a discussion between Supervisor Mandelman and Zurich's Mayor Corine Mauch about the LGBTQ communities in the two cities, to the creation of a fusion San Francisco-Zurich menu at Astra at The St. Regis.

We captured some of the highlights of our events and put them together in a short video that encapsulates the spirit of the Jubilee. Take a look and relive some of the excitement, cultural exchanges, and the heartwarming connections that made this celebration so special.

The Consulate General of Switzerland is excited to announce another installment of its Swiss Film & Talks series: this latest episode will feature an online screening of The Fortunate Ones (O Vento Assobiando Nas Gruas) (2023) followed by an exclusive Q&A with the film’s director, Jeanne Waltz. This film made its international debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 7 and will be available for limited viewing through the Consulate’s program.

To register for this virtual screening, please click here.

Available from November 3 (00:01 AM PST) to November 5 (11:59 PM PDT).

This online screening will only be available in the United States.

The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival Autumn Showcase will feature the German-Swiss-Austrian co-production Sisi & I (Sisi & Ich) (2023) by Frauke Finsterwalder.

In this historical drama, viewers are transported to a world where Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, known as Sisi, resides within an aristocratic women-only commune in Greece. Countess Irma is sent to be Sisi's companion and finds herself spellbound by the eccentric and extravagant recluse. As the encroaching outside world threatens to shatter Sisi's idyllic existence, these two women are inexorably drawn onto a fateful path that binds them together.

Vogue Theater

3290 Sacramento Street, San Francisco

Discover a special screening of Hannes Schüpbach's 16mm films - a rare opportunity to experience the work of this Swiss visual artist and filmmaker. Schüpbach's meticulous craftsmanship and meditative, loving exploration of the world come to life on the screen. This event is co-presented by San Francisco Cinematheque, CounterPulse, and the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. It marks Schüpbach's first Bay Area screening since 2006, celebrating the release of his latest book, Essais: Conversations and Film Images.

The event will feature the screening of two of his short films: Essais (2020), a lyrical dance collaboration with dancer/choreographer Kira Blazek Ziaii, and Instants (2012), an impressionistic portrait of French writer Joël-Claude Meffre, shot in the scenic French countryside near Avignon. Schüpbach himself will be in attendance, making this event a unique and intimate experience.

November 5, 7:30 PM

CounterPulse

80 Turk Street, San Francisco

Dive into a journey where the future of cities and big ideas come together for an event in Swissnex' 20th anniversary programing. This special event will include four Swiss projects showcasing new technologies and initiatives aimed at shaping the cities of tomorrow.

Join the conversations between urban designers and a political philosopher, who will break down the main ideas of each project to imagine both utopian and dystopian futures, highlighting the tough choices we might face. Explore new ideas of perfect cities, think about different tech and values, and picture the cities we want to see in the future, mixing what we have now with what might come next.

The evening will also foster a dialogue contrasting present-day societal values with those of a forward-thinking tech city. Detailed narratives of each project will unfold different city visions, emphasizing challenges in shifting values.


To register for this event, please click here.

Swissnex in San Francisco

Pier 17, Suite 800, San Francisco