The Sparrow in the Chimney (German: Der Spatz im Kamin) is a 2024 Swiss drama film directed by Ramon Zürcher, co-created with his twin brother Silvan Zürcher. Known for their delicate storytelling around domestic and emotional spaces, this film is the third installment in their family-themed trilogy, following The Strange Little Cat and The Girl and the Spider.
The story is about Karen and Jule, two adult sisters who get together with their families at the house they grew up in to celebrate a birthday. The movie is about memory, grief, control, and change. It is set against the emotional layers of family history. The story takes a close look at everyday events, and it all happens in one house, which is an important character in and of itself.
Let’s explore where and when this deeply personal film was brought to life, and the stunning Swiss locations behind it.
Where Was The Sparrow in the Chimney Filmed?
The Sparrow in the Chimney was filmed in Switzerland starting on July 11, 2022, and ending in late August 2022 — after 35 days of shooting.
Rapperswil, Bern – The Main Filming Location
The main location was a large residential house in Rapperswil, a serene town in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. While the plot situates the family home in Rapperswil, it’s important to note that Rapperswil is also the name of a town in the canton of St. Gallen, which has caused some location confusion among viewers. In this case, the filmmakers clearly refer to Rapperswil in Bern, and that’s where most of the principal photography took place.
The choice to film almost the whole movie inside one house in Rapperswil adds to the movie’s closed-in, suffocating feeling. Since most of the action takes place in the family home, the house itself becomes a character in the story. It is quiet, rigid, and full of emotional history.
The Zürcher brothers chose a naturalistic style, and scouting for locations was very important to that. The house chosen was not only nice to look at, but it was also useful because it let the camera move easily and block scenes in different ways, which were important for the film’s personal story. Location scout Anna Maria Fanzun helped identify and secure the ideal space that would represent the family’s inherited tensions and shifting dynamics.
Filming Support from the City of Bern
Though most scenes were filmed in Rapperswil (Bern), some additional support scenes and exterior shots were captured in the nearby city of Bern, Switzerland’s capital. These included short scenes outside, planning for logistics, and adding visuals to the background to make the setting more interesting.
There was also financial help for the project from the Bern Film Fund, which gave 695,000 Swiss francs, and the Swiss Federal Office of Culture. This help was very important for keeping the film’s high production quality without forcing the process along too quickly.
Official Trailer
For more exclusive coverage on filming locations, production updates, and behind-the-scenes insights, visit netfilming.com.
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