Tom Hiddleston charmed the Swiss crowd at the opening night of Zurich Film Festival with some yodelling, ahead of the European premiere of Jennifer Peedom’s Tenzing.
Hiddleston was accepting an honorary Golden Eye award at the ceremony when Max Loong, host for the evening, asked the actor if he would sing in the Swiss style “since we’re in yodel country”. The actor duly obliged, performing a short yodel in the style of US country music singer Hank Williams, who Hiddleston played in 2015 biopic I Saw The Light.
Hiddleston expressed his gratitude for the career award, giving thanks to the directors, producers, writers, and actors with whom he has worked, as well as crew; and especially to his wife, actress Zawe Ashton. “It’s truly her love and sacrifice that has allowed me to do the work I’ve done in the last decade especially,” said Hiddleston. “The depth, meaning and commitment in it all comes from her. For me, the sun rises and sets with her.”
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Tenzing tells the story of Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who was the first person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary (Hiddleston). The film had its world premiere at Telluride Film Festival, going on to Toronto. It will play in limited US cinemas from October 9, before a worldwide streaming release on Apple TV from October 16.
“Everything you see is real,” said Hiddleston. “No stage, no green screen. It was all of us collected as a team on these mountains, in the snow, ice, wind, cold, down the crevasse, on the highest peaks.”
He recalled an acting teacher who told him that the profession can be summarised in five words: “being truthful in imaginary circumstances”
“With Jen [Peedom], it’s ‘being truthful in circumstances’” said Hiddleston. “You do not have to imagine, because the circumstances around you are real, extreme, free, wild, and full of majesty, awe and power.”
Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok leads the cast as Norgay. Peedom said the actor was unable to be in Zurich due to “travel issues”; he sent a short video message for the festival.
“He carried the mountain on his back,” said Peedom, adding that Phuntsok learned both Sherpa language and English for the role, as well as how to climb. “In his early days on expeditions, Tenzing Norgay had no shoes. So Genden took off his shoes. And he would fill his backpack with rocks, which is also something Tenzing did, and walk for half a day with no shoes, and rocks in his backpack.”
Peedom also revealed that the film employed a team of Sherpas for the New Zealand leg of its shoot, who had completed 61 ascents of Everest between them. Tenzing is produced by UK-Australian company See-Saw Films, with producer Iain Canning also present in Zurich and reassuring the audience that “everyone was always safe” on the mountain shoot.
Recognition
The evening began with speeches in German from Swiss representatives including Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, member of the Swiss Federal Council. “Culture is closely linked to our democracy,” said Baume-Schneider, crediting the festival as a place to “watch films that aren’t just fed to me by an algorithm, but were selected by real people who put together the programme.”
Baume-Schneider also presented a Golden Eye to Swiss actress Luna Wedler, who won the Marcello Mastroianni award for best emerging actor or actress at Venice Film Festival last year for Silent Friend.
“Sometimes women don’t get enough recognition for what they contribute to society or the roles they can, and must take on,” said Baume-Schneider. “It’s not just about being a woman; Luna is simply outstanding.”
The opening ceremony was held at the Kongresshaus Zurich venue on the bank of Lake Zurich. Guests were treated to local foods, including great quantities of Swiss chocolate, while the pre- and after-party included gambling games and make-up exhibits for attendees.
Zurich’s first day featured masterclass sessions from Jesse Eisenberg, whose film The Debut is at the festival; and Willem Dafoe, who stars in Tenzing.
The festival’s Summit takes place on Saturday, September 26, with Mubi founder Efe Cakarel and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Bill Kramer among the speakers.
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