In memoriam Dölf Rindlisbacher (1919-2011)

In the church of Spiegel-Bern, on October 17, many mourners bode farewell to Dölf Rindlisbacher who died in his 93rd year of age. He was the first film commissioner of the German speaking Protestant churches in Switzerland and will be remembered as a pioneer in the history of Protestant media activities in Switzerland.

Growing up in the rural Emmental he indicated interest in film early on. After finishing his degree in theology in Bern he pursued studies in psychology and visited England and America. Afterwards he was a minister in Wengen and Bern and a teacher at the gymnasium Kirchenfeld. When in 1966, after a long debate, the film and radio commission of the Reformed churches in German speaking Switzerland decided to establish the position of a film commissioner Dölf Rindlisbacher was the appropriate person to succeed to this task. He won over the electorial body above all by his skills to conduct analytical and deepening film talks which he acquired in classrooms and youth ministry.

First Film Commissioner in Switzerland 1967-1984

Grassroot activities remained important for Dölf Rindlisbacher during the whole period between his accession to office in 1967 till his retirement in 1984. Film should become and remain relevant for the diverse fields of church acitivities, including church services, above all as a means of preaching. How are films fashioned, what are their messages, how can they be appreciated, interpreted and applied? To answer these questions he organised numerous classes and screenings, called "film fairs", for church employees in homesteads, parish halls and at universities.

In support of church film events he expanded the stock of inspiring short, documentary and fiction films in 16mm provided by the ZOOM film distribution company, acquiring them either in Switzerland or abroad and often by direct contact with film artists. Among them are pearls like "Charles mort ou vif" by Alain Tanner, "Die plötzliche Einsamkeit des Konrad Steiner" (The Sudden Loneliness of Konrad Steiner) by Kurt Gloor, "Das zweite Erwachen der Christa Klages" (The Second Awakening of Christa Klages) by Margarethe von Trotta, and many others.

More than only a few short films turned out to be true hits for years among the ZOOM customers. The issues of the distribution catalogue entitled Film – Kirche – Welt (film – church – world) edited in cooperation with the Catholic distribution company Selecta-Film, proved to be an indespensable tool for information and advertisement to support the church film supply. In this context the constitution of a film and media archive evolving to an instrument of information and advice by the commitment of its keepers matched with a long-sighted strategy.

Dölf Rindlisbacher published reviews on events, festivals, and films in "film und radio" and "ZOOM – Filmberater" as well as resources for film education, and trained staff to write film desciptions and reports on film classes. As a guide for training he published an introduction in basic ideas on film and in principles and models of film talks entitled "Filmarbeit – praktisch" (Film Activities - Practical) and published by Reinhardt Verlag Basel.

Cooperation: Establishing the Ecumenical Jury in Locarno 1973

As a delegate of the Swiss Evangelical Church Association his professional competence found high recognition in the Federal Film Commission and in the Jury for Quality Awards, not least by filmmakers. International he was committed to the European Steering Committee of WACC (World Association for Christian Communication), but above all to INTERFILM. 1978 he organised an international INTERFILM seminar focussed on films ciritical on society in Bern. Many times he was a member of church festival jurys, quite often as president, and initiated the first Ecumenical Jury 1973 at the film Festival Locarno, together with his Catholic partner Ambros Eichenberger and then festival director Moritz de Hadeln. In 2012 this jury will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

After his retirement serving again as a pastor temporarily, he kept vivid memories of his commitment as film commissioner for all his life. This office he practiced "with heart and soul", as was said at his farewell. With special pride he looked back to the times when he could give theological advice to Franz Schnyder, director of the screen adaptations of Jeremias Gotthelf, and to the cooparation with Peter von Gunten when they jointly produced "Der vierte König" (The Fourth King), a shadow play after the legend of Edzard Schaper which was sold to numerous TV stations.

INTERFILM mourns its honorary member who played an important part in its history.