THERE will be a special "Swiss focus" at this year's World Film Festival (WFF) Bangkok which runs November 6 - 15. In the past, the WFF showcased several new Swiss movies each year, but this year will take things one step further, thanks to support from  "SWISSFILMS".

In addition to five new Swiss movies - four features and one documentary - there will also be a retrospective with six movies by one of Switzerland's best-known directors, Alain Tanner.

They are: Charles Mort ou Vif (Charles Dead or Alive) (1969); La Salamandre (1971); Jonas Qui Aura 25 Ans, (1976); Messidor (1979); Light Years Away (1981); Dans La Ville Blanche (In the White City) (1983).

A spokesman for the Swiss Embassy in Bangkok told Fest 21: "If everything works out as planned, one of the main actors of several of Tanner's movies, Jean-Luc Bideau, will also attend WFF as a special guest. Mr Bideau is probably the best known contemporary actor from the French speaking part of Switzerland".

Bideau appeared in international movie productions such as "The Last Tango in Paris" (Bernardo Bertolucci) and "The Red Violin" (1998).

"Everything is still subject to confirmation, but the final WFF programme, with screening dates and times, should be out early October", the spokesman added.