Page 5 - Maerki Baumann & Co AG | Privatbank

“I am a visual person by nature.”
Hans Syz on his dual role as film producer and swiss banker.
Mr Syz, where does your passion for film come from? Hans Syz: It dates back to a very young age. I remember using my mother’s Bolex cine camera as a boy and never wanting to part with it again. After I left school I trained
as a cameraman, which took me all over the world.
What fascinates you about see- ing the world through a lens? I’m a visual person by nature. Films give me the opportunity to tell and shape a story for myself – the spotlight is the colour, the lens the brush,
and the film the canvas.
What was your most
iconic shoot?
No doubt “A New Face of Deb- bie Harry”, a piece about the lead singer of Blondie, directed by H.R. Giger. It was a quite a pioneering video clip.
You took the ambitious step of progressing from camera- man to film producer when you took over Turnus Film back in 1989. How did you find that transition?
I always had an entrepreneurial side, and was keen to let that express itself. But at the same time, I was always very much aware that establishing yourself in the film business takes a huge amount of effort. We initially built ourselves up by
shooting advertising commer- cials – for example, we were behind Milka’s “purple cow”. It was a while before we got into the business of producing feature films. Our greatest success to date has been “Handyman”, which starred Marco Rima, although I guess that has probably been over- taken by “Wolkenbruch” now.
Back in 1997, a family suc- cession solution led to your taking over the chairmanship of Maerki Baumann. How do you manage to combine the film business with your work as a swiss banker?
The two occupations play out wholly independently of one another. Only on the marketing side is there a small amount
of crossover. It always goes down well when we show our own films at the bank’s client events. Our clients then realise there is someone in the bank’s top management who engages with the outside world, a person with whom they can discuss anything. And for the most part they are entrepreneurs them- selves, which means they have interesting stories to tell.
What personal characteris- tics do you need to manage a private bank and a film company?
An entrepreneurial approach and the ability to enthuse.
Whether you’re a banker or a film producer, you always need to prepare, execute, and justify your decisions. Choosing re- liable partners and employees is absolutely critical. And ul- timately the sums have to add up.
The traditional film and TV business is in crisis right now. What do you perceive to be the greatest challenges here? The film industry is up against streaming services like Netflix. Many people see these new providers as a threat, but for me they’re an opportunity.
I’m convinced that this new phenomenon will increase
not just the quantity of films made, but also the quality and acceptance of film-making as a craft. “Wolkenbruch” shows that good films can attract a significant cinema audience.
How much does it mean to you to be nominated for the Swiss Film Prize 2019? Along with my co-producer Anita Wasser and film director Michael Steiner, I am delight- ed to see our ideas being well received; this motivates Turnus Film AG to keep moving forward.
Hans G. Syz-Witmer
Chairman of the Board of Directors Maerki Baumann & Co. AG
Interview
5