Nature Celebrated in Nyon As part of the Nature festival, which will take place throughout Switzerland from the 24th to the 26th of May, the town of Nyon is organising a day of festivities around nature in the town. A photo contest called “Unusual nature in Nyon” will also take place. The area behind the station (where the “Roulotte” is) will be invaded by the local fauna and flora on Saturday 25th of May, from 10:00 to 17:00. Different recreational and educational workshops will be pffered to the public, in collaboration with Equiterre , an association which promotes sustainable development. Learn how to grow vegetables on your balcony! Passionate guides will show you how to grow a vegetable patch on your balcony, build a shelter for local animals (which might do them some good with the terrible weather we've been having lately...), or help develop the biodiversity in the town. An urban safari will take you on a tour of Nyon's hidden nature, local bee-keepers will be giving honey tastings, alongside several other activities. Musical interludes will punctuate the day. Don't miss the Musical Salad at 11:00! Come and collectively prepare and enjoy a salad made from unsold products recuperated from supermarkets. There will be games, exhibitions and more. You can find the whole programme here. Most of the workshops and the urban safaris require booking. You can do this on the Equiterre website and on the fête de la nature website, and on the day depending on availability. Get to know your neighbours on the 31st of May! The Fête des Voisins, which has become a classic all over Switzerland since it started a few years ago, is the best occasion to get to know your neighbours, have a nice time with the ones you already know, and make life in your neighbourhood livelier and more fun! This is also a great way to improve your French as practice makes perfect. So why not organise a party, a barbecue or a drink in your neighbourhood? You can find more information, including the forms to fill in to get free t-shirts, balloons and flyers to host a great event on the Nyon website. “La fête des voisins- Immeubles en fête” started in Paris in 2000, and has since then spread all across Europe. Each year, several million people take part in this event. This year, 35 Swiss towns and villages will be celebrating friendly relationships between neighbours. Here is a translation of the 10 tips for a great party, which you can find on the Nyon website 1: Get the poster/invitation leaflets for your neighbours2: Put the poster up in the entrance if you live in a block of flats or slip the leaflets in your neighbours' letterboxes if you live in houses.3: Get together with some other neighbours to organise the day!Don't prepare everything on your own, but get involved with others. This is the best way to get the most people to come to the party. Preparing it together is already part of the event!4: Find the right location.Host the party in a public location (alley, courtyard, garden...), as this will be less intimidating for people who don't know many of the neighbours. If you have any questions regarding security or anything else, don't hesitate to call the town administration: (Nyon : 022 363 82 82 – Prangins : 022 994 31 27).5: Get installedThink about what you might need (tables, chairs) to install food and drinks and so people can sit down if they want to6: Food and Drinks!Try and get everyone to bring something for the party- but have things to drink and a few snacks.7: Don't forget kids and the elderlyKids are always ready for some fun, don't leave them out when you organise the event!Older people aren't usually used to these kind of events, and might not dare come. Try and encourage them to participate.8: Decorate the party with tablecloths, balloons, posters... for a fun and friendly event9: Most important of all: get to know each other!On the day of the Fête des voisins, don't stay on your own or with the people you already know: go and meet the other neighbours. Be the first to make contact, present yourself to others. Remember, the idea is to get to know your neighbours! Dont miss out on the occasion to get to discover other cultures, social origins or age groups!10: This is only the start!This event is a state of mind, a different way of seeing the town and the community, which can spread! Conviviality can produce common projects, better relationships, which can help to reduce isolation, anonymity and indifference, and make your neighbourhood a better place to live in.

OnSunday 2nd June it's the launch of the Trail to Salamanca – an initiative developed to carry the messages for the 10th World Wilderness Congress - WILD10 - in Salamanca, Spain, 4-10 October 2013. The launch at 11:00 will be hosted by Musée d’Histoire des Sciences 128 rue de Lausanne, in Geneva. An official ceremony will be held with a list of different speakers from Geneva, Spain, Germany, South Africa and the United States explaining the background of WILD10 and how it links up with the Museum and the Geneva Region. Photo above courtesy - Wild 10 Following the ceremony, Geoff Dalglish - a well-known journalist and long-distance hiker from South Africa will start his 2,500 km walk from Geneva to Salamanca across mountains, through valleys, along rivers and across plains in France and northern Spain. During this walk, Geoff Dalglish will report back from the work of different organizations along the route with examples of how making Europe a wilder place has already started to happen and how this benefits both nature and people.

"Des Yeux Partout" by Caroline Cuénod to be screened Thursday 25th April at the Théâtre de Marens at 14:30 and Friday 26th at 14:15 at the Capitole 1 At the start of this film we see Clarissa looking down on to the the rooftops of Geneva from her apartment, she is happy to be high up as she does not like to be overlooked by anyone. She cannot stand to be constantly observed by CCTV cameras when she is on the ground and is obsessed with them. In her quest to record all the CCTV cameras that she knows exist in Geneva, she marks them all down in details on an enlarged map of the city. She reads in a newspaper article that there are 1,358 cameras but she personally believes there are many, many more. She is keen to know what happens to all the footage that might have images of her on it, but she can't find an answer. She travels to Monaco, where in seemingly every street she find herself being watched by cameras. She makes a trip to Middlesborough, a city in the UK which has "talking" CCTV cameras. Operators of the cameras can give out orders through the speakers to any street "offender". She looks up at the camera and shouts "Hello". The operator of the camera replies back "Woman in the green coat and purple scarf, please move on". A telling and Big Brotherish moment in the film, which bothers her but when she speaks to passers by and asks them if they mind being under constant surveillance, none of them seems to, saying the cameras are a "necessary evil" to further reduce street crime. Back in Switzerland Clarissa heads off to the mountains to the area where she was born and reveals that the reason she left in the first place was because she felt it was too small a community and every body knew her business and she was being "watched". Now high up in the Alps and free from CCTV cameras she feels at her happiest. Although this film tackles a modern day issue, the pervasiveness of CCTV cameras in cities today, it doesn't really answer too many questions and Cuenod the film maker doesn't delve too deep for answers. Nevertheless this film is thought- provoking in its own way and including scenes from Geneva, makes for an interesting documentary in the "Helvetique" category of the Visions du Réel film festival.

Photo above: "Skin" crowd surfing. Caribana began in fine style on Wednesday night on the first night of the four day festival. The weather stayed warm and dry and the emphasis of the music was on rock, heavy rock, grunge and rock, rock and roll. Kill it Kid from Bath in the UK began the evening on the lake stage, followed by Motorhead an hour later over at the Grande Scène. Lead singer "Lemmy" Kilmister of Motorhead set the pace by shouting out to the crowd, "Is it loud enough for you?" before ramping up the volume. There were some in the crowd you thought it could have been even louder and that Lemmy was a tad subdued, nevertheless the band went on to play old favourites: "Ace of Spades" , "Going to Brazil" and other tracks from their new album. "Occupy Taksim" sign in crowd There was a brief moment when protesters in the crowd brought out an " Occupy Taksim" sign (in reference to the recent unrest in Turkey) before they moved away from the crowd and to the side of the grounds. Photo below of Pierre-Edouard and Maria, two Motorhead fans from Geneva. It was Pierre-Edouard's 8th Motorhead concert! After Motorhead, the rockers at the festival were there then left were in fine mood for Skunk Anansie who brought not only an impressive light show to their stage act, but an explosive energy to the Caribana grounds. "Skin" the charismatic lead singer is a consummate performer, and apart from a few technical issues at the start, it was a good set, topped at the end by an impressive bit of superb crowd surfing. What's new this year on the grounds?- Bar on the beach. Opportunity to buy tickets to V.I.P bar. There are the usual favourites this year at Caribana as in previous years - the Brazil bar with friendly staff serving Caipirinhas, the various other bars serving beer and wine. This year the theme and logo of the festival is "Pirate"s and the beer glasses are emblazoned with pirate faces. There is also a Pimms stand in the centre of the eating and drinking area, so lots of choice for everyone. There are the usual stalls selling jewelry, hats and boots in case of bad weather. Note - this year false flooring has been placed around many areas on the grounds to prevent the ground turning into a quagmire. Also new this year, an opportunity to buy categories of tickets to the festival, reduced, normal, golden and platinum. The latter two categories are more expensive as they offer entrance tickets, 2 meals at the port of Crans, plus access to the VIP bar. See here for booking details-New to La Platforme bar this year are steps going right down to the beach and lake, a sort of mini Cannes at Caribana. This bar is for 18+ only. The bar early on in the evening was a haven of peace away from the crowds, see photo below, but it became busy later on. See some of the atmosphere of the first night in the photos below. All photos C. Nelson-Pollard. Also new this year, Caribana has a team of writers who are also writing in English, so you can read their observations about the other bands and the music played last night on the Scène du Lac stage on the Caribana website. On the line up tonight on Day 2 of Caribana - 77 Bombay St, Archive, Kaiser Chiefs, Take Me Home, Andy Burrows and The Heavy. Below - The calm of the the Platform bar before the crowd arrived - Steps leading down to the beach Below - Pimms anyone? Photo below Stall ready to serve lots of Caipirinhas Boots in case of bad weather - thankfully the forecast is good for the next few days More photos of the evening from the lake stage - Kill it Kid, The Animen, The Coronas.

Caribana Day 2 reviewed here by Jonas Parson - Jonas is studying at the University of Lausanne and has written various festival, band and music reviews for this site. All photos by Jonas. Although Caribana has a somewhat long tradition of inclement weather during the festival, it looks as though the curse has been broken after a second day of fantastic weather on the Crans lakeside. The grounds filled up gradually, as more and more people arrived to chill out and watch their favourite bands. Spirits were high as people were glad to enjoy the sun at last and sit down in the grass for a drink, some music and something to eat. The grounds are really small at Caribana, set on the lakeside with an amazing view of the lake from two of the bars, amidst trees- some of which are actually used to hold up f the lighting! consequently, it feels really cosy. But the price to pay for such nice settings is getting here- especially if you have to come by bus. The timetables are rather limited (two buses an hour from Nyon) to get there, and it's even worse coming back! Riding to the festival was quite an experience - even more so as we haven't gotten use to the warmth yet, and a quarter of an hour of stuffy jam-packed bus ride wasn't exactly what anybody was looking for! But what the festival lacks in organisation- you can feel this is a tiny festival, nothing on the scale of Paléo for example-, it makes up for with the settings and very tranquil spirit. This makes for a very composite crowd, families with small children, youngsters roaming around (well, roaming might not exactly be possible at Caribana, say strolling), and festival goers in their twenties - the natural fauna of a festival?- to older folk, here for a nice night out with friends. This unique setting tends to make people quite attached to this little festival, and the faithful are here every year. If you get lost or need some information, these helpful helpers will help you find your way with a smile. Strolling around the grounds, they are easily recognisable by their trendy orange waistcoats. This year's must in term of food are these crazy potatoes- basically a long crisp rolled around a stick. Delicious and rather cool looking! But the success of a festival is most importantly made by the people, not by the food stalls, (although there are quite a few really nice ones, including a delicious bar), so here's the portrait of a couple of people met on the grounds. First of all, Petros, this lively young man originally from Zambia has been living in Switzerland for 6 years, and spends the festival season going around Switzerland selling hats and sunglasses- the typical festival stall. Last week was Festineuch, then there'll be Greenfield, before Montreux Jazz and Paleo in July. What a life! Dancing and saluting passers by in front of his stall when he wasn't selling a pair of bright pink sunglasses, he was slightly critical of the music coming from the stage, although it didn't stop him from dancing to it. Valerie and Pierre-André came all the way from Fribourg to watch Archive - Pierre-André had seen them in Cannes this year and wanted to take his partner to see them, even in crutches, as this was Archive's only concert in Switzerland! They really enjoyed the unique atmosphere of this small festival, and were appreciating the view over the lake when I met them. Regular festival goers, they then choose the night they'll come on depending on the line-up. They were really impressed with how well they were welcomed and helped, what with the crutches and all. Spread out in the grass, a cloth bag on his head, Jorisse was hard to miss, in a very festivalish attitude. Come from Yverdon with Marion to see The Heavy, it was his first time at Caribana, and he was really enjoying the atmosphere of the small festival. Marion suggested that there should be a holiday after each festival, as getting up next morning was always a bit of a challenge... The evening kicked off with "Take Me Home", a pop band from Geneva. The three musicians were quite energetic, even though the crowd wasn't very big and a lot of people were just sitting around having a drink. But by the time 77 Bombay Street came on stage on the main stage, the grounds were full and people were pressing forward to watch the Swiss German quartet of brothers. In their trademark uniforms, and with lots of punch they charmed their audience with all of their most famous songs, from "Up in the Sky", to "47 Millionaires" and "I love Lady Gaga". Although the crowd was quite calm to start with, everybody was clapping to the music at the end of the concert, and the most dedicated fans at the front were dancing about. The band thanked the crowd and promised they would be back soon! Next on was Andy Burrows. This multi-talented musician from Winchester (he started of as a drummer, and plays the drums for We are scientists, but also plays solo as a guitarist and songwriter) delivered his folky indie-pop for the delight of the crowd in front of the scène du lac. He made everyone happy, from the enthusiasts who wanted to dance, to the people who were glad to be able to sit down and have a bite while listening to some nice music- neither too calm as to make you fall asleep, nor too loud to make it impossible to have a chat. Burrows himself was quite lively, never standing still - as you can see on the photo below, he even played while standing on one foot for some reason! The crowd had grown constantly since the beginning of the evening, and it was now hard to make your way through the festival, zigzagging between people sitting down or queuing for food. By the way, you can always tell when you're in a festival in Switzerland. It's that place where you can still get to eat a raclette and see people walking around with bottles of Swiss wine and wine glasses. As there are only two stages on the grounds, the schedule is quite tight- one band at a time playing alternately on the main stage and the "lake" stage. Night was falling as Archive walked on stage, with their new and charismatic young vocalist, who brought soul touches to the trip-hop of this British band. Starting off with three of the band on the keyboards, and quite a melodic tune, they then went on to some heavier stuff, to the delight of the crowd gathered to see them. Never too young for a festival! A lot of kids came to watch the music with their parents, enjoying the sweet stall on site and watching the music as best they could, whether on the shoulders of their parents or sitting on a rubbish bin. As the night fell, I came across two kids fast asleep next to their mother, lying down on a rug behind the crowd in front of the Archive concert The rouge FM bar even has a game of Just Dance! much to the pleasure and amusement of these ladies. Getting warmed up before the real stuff! What a better way to decorate the entrance to the toilets than to let some graffiti artists come and paint them? People sitting down for a bite-including a very well organised (oh so swiss!) festival goer The lights play tricks on the crowd

‘Insein Rhythm’ – by Soe Moe Aung - 11 minutes long. Second screening on Friday 26 April at 13:00,at Usine à Gaz as part of a collection of 18 short films at the Visions du Réel film festival. Review by Trish Thalman "I will always be sure " reads the sign above the Stationmaster’s desk at Insein Railway station, located in the northern suburb of Yangon. The bright orange plastic, wind-up telephones advise the stationmaster of everything he needs to know. He can be sure. In this short, very appealing film, we see a collection of quick film shots of the collective details that create everyday life at the suburban station. People of all ages in different styles of dress get onto and off of the trains, dogs rest on the station platform, line-workers hammer away at the steel rails, a woman walks between the tracks and picks up pieces of rubbish for disposal, piles of paper tickets are ready for sale, rickety old train carriages are jammed with passengers, the food vendors exchange small amounts of coins for a cool drink or a sweet roll. The anticipation and preparation for the pending arrival of the train from Yangon is tangible. There is no dialogue, other than background sounds of birds, rain, voices and the train arrival-departure announcements of the stationmaster, along with his reply to phone calls. There is a sequence of quick-paced, repetitive shots that focuses on the pickaxe of the line-workers, the stationmaster winding-up the phones to make and receive calls, and his job of arranging blocks of pre-printed tickets. These are the routine jobs, the rhythm, for the railway workers at Insein station. This is a film that reflects the excitement and daily work of the people in a country living through the current process of arriving in the modern world.

Don Ca (Mr Ca) by Patricia Ayala Ruiz, Colombia.Screening today 24 the at 21:30 in the Salle Communale and tomorrow Thursday 25 the April at 10:15 in Capitole 1 Buy tickets online to this film hereDon Ca is portrait of a man with a social conscience and desire to be free. His chosen home, the area of Guapi on the Pacific Coast of Colombia, forms the secondary character in this documentary through the depiction of its striking countryside, river and people. Living far from his home town and having renounced all its comforts and anchored traditions, Don Ca has chosen the simple life in a village community where he is respected. He has chosen freedom. Yet this freedom feels under threat - Guapi cannot shelter one from the realities of the 'big' Colombia of paramilitaries and guerillas. Choosing Home We learn that Don Ca decided to leave his grand family and move to this area some 35 years ago in search of gold and with hunger for adventure. But quickly he felt as if he belonged here and able to help the community. Far from his birth place and happy to choose a life without the ease and material abundance of the city, many of his friends at first do not understand. Don Ca compares it to falling in love with an ugly woman – friends might not understand the appeal, but it does not matter as he is happy nonetheless. He is free to live as he chooses, naturally and without the weight of tradition. The rich colours and verdant explosions of Guapi quickly identify this area as a tropical and idyllic paradise. Don Ca's has pet monkeys; cockfighting is pastime, as are swims in the river. Life is simple and the community is happy. There is a physicality to life that is grounding. As Don Ca defines happiness, 'the distance between what you have and what you want', we feel that this village is content. Yet the slow hum of helicopters overhead announce a threat to the community's insouciant way of life – a malignant force that it is bigger than it and over which it has no control. A Way of Life Under Threat Tension builds after paramilitaries steal from the poor people of the region and Don Ca has to leave town for awhile after being designated a snitch. He returns to the hustle and bustle of the city and here we see the demands of tradition as he dresses up for the pomp of the Easter procession. Later on in the documentary, thrilling shots of Carnival back in the Pacific Coast region stand in stark contrast to these restrained rites. Carnival shows raw energy and release – the feel of real celebration and joy. In striking and disturbing contrast to this episode, Patricia Ayala Ruiz places her shots of the paramilitary entering the village – these are eerie in their silence. Disconcerting also, as an innocence has been lost. Don Ca, the wise man of this village, a folk hero of sorts, hopes this is temporary. We too hope that the 'violence and anger' of Colombia, with its drugs and guns, does not overwhelm this peaceful community, far removed from such things. However, there is also the sinking feeling that one cannot hide from such a reality and that there are few places that can remain islands in our increasingly global world. We understand the consequences of these developments through Don Ca – if it is temporary, one can adapt, 'like a fish in a flash flood'. Yet if it is permanent, one must move or die.

“Mahragan” - by Omar El Shamy - 23 mins long - The film will be screened for a second time on Friday 26 April at 13:00 at the Usine à Gaz in a collection of 18 short films at Usine à Gaz at the Visions du Réel film festival. Review by Trish Thalman who say this is a "splendid film,a noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo" Mahragan is the name of a popular Rap music group in Cairo. The three young, energetic musicians have taken the traditional Chabbi format of music and up-dated it to reflect the modern beat and musical freedom they now have since the revolution occurred two years ago. Rap music is ‘what’s happening’ as we are introduced to the boisterous opening scenes of a massive, street concert in Cairo. It’s all about sparklers, flashing lights, a line-up of massive, full-blast speakers, vuvezuelas, dance circles of young males (only males!) wearing jeans, ‘hoodies’ and wonderfully garish t-shirts, who are able to hip-hop and yell along with the music from Mahragan. The fans know all the words to the songs, which are words of opposition from ‘the people’ to the authorities. This was not possible 2 years ago. Mahragan have a long list of bookings, in spite of the confusion with their booking agent who has put June dates before May dates in their diary. One of their musical gigs is a stylish wedding reception at The Swiss Club in Cairo, where Mahragan provide Chabbi-type music, a tradition at Egyptian weddings, but with their lively ‘rapped-up’ beat, and without the fiery political words. The lead singer and songwriter proudly confirms that Mahragan is from a working-class area of Cairo, and that the working-class people are the ones who have important stories to tell. His people are not yet free. The group refer to older and contemporary poets and songs for their on-going, political and musical education. Mahragan truly believes, writes about and raps to the tune that the Egyptian Revolution carries on, and that they will eventually be free. This is a splendid film by a talented, young filmmaker that takes us on a fun, noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo, with warmth, humour and energy.

Visions du Réel has now come to a close and the prize winning films have now been chosen. These films from the main section can be seen again on Saturday 27th April, at the Théâtre de Marens. From 14:00 until the evening, five films will be screened at the Théâtre de Marens. CHF 30 for a day card or CHF 10 per film. 14:00 The winner of the Prix La Mobilière for the best short film in the International Competition: American Dreamer by Thomas Haley - Julian lives in a small town in northern Florida. After writing a poem, he goes by bus to Ground Zero to commemorate the September 11 attacks together with his fellow citizens. Thomas Haley films this ordinary patriot who seeks to anchor his identity onto a national project in crisis and provides a subtle portrayal of a “poor white boy”. The winner of the Prix George Foundation for the best short film of the International competition: What a fuck am I doing on this battlefield? by Julien Fezans and Nico Peltier 16:00 The winner of the Grand Prix SRG SSR for the best Swiss film in all the sections: La Clé de la chambre a lessive by Floriane Devigne and Fred Florey . This film was reviewed here by Living in Nyon 18:00 The winner of the Prix Regard Neuf du Canton de Vaud for the best first feature-length film among the sections of the International Competition, Helvétiques and Etat d'Esprit Les Chababs des Yarmouk by Axel Salvatore-Sinz20:00 Winner of the Prix La Poste Suisse for the best feature-length film of the International Competition: Karma Shadub by Ramon Giger and Jan Gassmann

It's "Open House" at the Conservatoire of Nyon on the 16th March from 10:00 to 12:30. Its a good opportunity to discover the courses that this prestigious music academy runs during the year for both children and adults. The Conservatoire is set right along Nyon's lake side. There are also courses run in Morges (open day on Sat 23rd March). See COV site.

"Dyana Mini Market" - by Florian Devigne Here's another film review from Trish Thalman who says; “Although this film has already been screened at the festival, it is worthwhile to know about this sparkling, gem-of-a-film for future viewing" Mr. And Mrs. Kamlanathan , originally from Sri Lanka, have recently met with financial hard luck, and were evicted, along with their 3 children, from their previous accommodation. They now live, laugh, sleep, socialise and love each other as a family, along with the cats (Simba, their beloved dog has just died), in one tiny, cramped back room of the Dayana Mini Market somewhere in Paris. The shop is named after their teen-age daughter, who has dreams of a larger, glossier life than she is currently living. This joyful, humorous, eye-catching production is an insightful film by Floriane Devigne, that happily provides us with the human condition related to integrating and surviving in a new country, by using one's wits and energy ( physical and spiritual), to get on with life, regardless of the situation. Mother is the tough-ish disciplinarian, excellent cook and money-minded business woman working her files and dealing with the piles of incoming bills. She decides how the money, or lack of it, is spent. Father is the operations manager who runs the market out front. The parents constantly affirm their love to their children, but insist that they learn and understand the need to study and work hard. The children help out in the market when not at school or studying. Captivating colourful mini-sequences When things become unsettled for members of the family and a moment of dreaming or fantasy becomes necessary, we are gifted surprising sequences of song, dance and animation that 'pop-up' throughout the film which offers everyone the chance to trip the light-fantastic. The captivating, colourful mini-sequences in the ‘Bollywood’ style capture the lively traditions and entertainment known to the parents in their country of birth. Their children are familiar with this world as well. The parents retain their transitioning, Asian way of life, but on a daily basis learn to accept the traditions of France through their children, ie: New Year’s Eve in the French mode: a tower of champagne glasses that are filled with the overflow from the glass at the top. Traditions and technology: A religious, incense-filled ceremony at the local temple to ensure the spirit of Simba ends up in a better place in which a large, framed photo of black Labrador wearing a pair of sunglasses is placed on the altar. Dayana gleefully receives a Kindle for her birthday, meanwhile a TV screen with the 9 CCTV camera views of the shop glows 24 hours a day in the back room for the family to keep an eye on the customers. In one scene Dayana enters a contest to become 'Miss Sri Lanka of France', with some mildly gruff protests from mother concerned about the cost for the event (clothes, makeup, jewelry, etc. etc.). There is even another ‘Bollywood Moment’ during the pageant, when Dayana dances and sings a song referring to herself as ‘Lady Di’ (as in Day) and delights herself, as well as the cinema audience, by leaving no question as to what her aspirations are for the future. She does not win the contest this year. But we have met a family who are lively, loving, noisily and personable. Even if they are physically squashed into the tiniest living space in the back room, their expansive hopes and dreams for a better life are not diminished.

Our second film review comes from writer Trish Thalman, who says this is a "poignant and sensitive film with moments of humour and candour" A film focusing on residents of an apartment building in Lausanne, people dealing with dirty laundry every day, physically and metaphorically. "The Laundry Room" -" La Clè de la Chambre à Lessive" by Floriane Devigne and Frédéric Florey Saturday 20 April at 14:00 - Salle Communale and Sunday 21 April at 19:30 - Capitole 1 cinema (72 mins) Link to buying tickets for this film on line here "Claudina" holds the key!" In this case, the key to the communal laundry room of a low-rent apartment building in Lausanne. The inhabitants of the building are a mixture of people from Switzerland and various other countries and make up the Swiss ‘underclass’. The laundry room of the building is the size of a small storage room, in a clean and tidy, ground floor entrance area. It holds four washers and four dryers, and the door is locked. It is next to the elevator where people wait patiently for it to arrive. When it does arrive, it disgorges a number of people at one time. There is much activity throughout the day in the foyer, with the coming-and-going of the inhabitants. The new cleaning woman for the building is Claudina, a bright and lively woman who says that cleaning is hard work and not a terrific job. She is responsible for managing access to the laundry room. In the past, the laundry room did not operate according to any set rules and mostly there was chaos, arguments and a rogue key that kept getting "lost". Now Claudina will make an attempt at order with times and dates set for everyone to do his or her washing (“people need to follow rules”). A white board with a colour code is designed and hung on the laundry room wall. We see that there is confusion and misunderstanding about how ‘the rules’ will work. Everyone has an opinion of how the rules should operate, mostly related to what suits them the best. Residents sometimes don't have the money to pay to do the laundry Daily life goes on among the residents of the building. The police arrive. A recently single man is told he has to move to a smaller apartment (what shall he do with the furniture?) , a woman expresses her ambitions to work for Rolex (until she learns their workrooms are not in Lausanne). One day Claudina wonders why the people scheduled for the washing day have not come to use the laundry room. It is because that week they do not have the money to pay to do the laundry. The parade of colourful characters who spend time in the foyer ranges from a boisterous, edgy woman who doesn’t want her dirty laundry to be on TV (pointing to the security camera ‘eye’ in the laundry room), two young 'wanna-be' hip-hopsters in outlandish, trashy 'bling', four young girls posing and preening for the camera while engaging Claudina in a discussion about religion, and a sad, squabbling woman who quotes Zola and Jacques Brel when arguing with nearly everyone, especially Claudina. All are dealing with dirty laundry every day, physically and metaphorically. This is a poignant and sensitive film, with moments of humour and candour, patience and anxiety, along with the daily noise of washing machines and dryers. Trish says "I particularly enjoyed the film, as I have learned to “follow rules’ for the laundry room in the apartment building where I live. The key to the door was ‘lost’ a few years ago. The door is open all the time. A piece of paper is taped on the door with the names of who washes what day and what time. The system can work!" Photo below - Trish Thalman