He is an icon of Swiss humor. Emil is the subject of a documentary which traces his entire career. “Typical Emil – Let go and start again from scratch” looks back on the career of this Lucerne native who went on stage, who toured with the Knie, who directed theaters and cinemas, who published books and who even escaped to New York to find anonymity.
In his documentary, Swiss director Phil Meyer opens the book of the man who was first a postal tobacconist before going to art school. Above all, Emil Steinberger had to find the courage to tell his loved ones that he was going to leave a civil servant position: cut the umbilical cord and do what you want.
If the decision was never welcomed by his parents, it was by the public. To the point that to escape popular and media pressure, Emil went into exile in New York in 1993. There he found Niccel who would become his wife; a love epic recounted in the documentary via previously unseen archive images. Today, at the age of 92, Emil is still in good shape. Are laughter and good humor a secret to longevity? “When I work at home, I’m not always laughing. I focus on work. But I like hearing from the audience. It’s like an orchestra. I know when the laughter comes loud. The audience is a sort of conductor. »
Emil managed to make the four corners of Switzerland laugh. To the point of becoming part of the national identity? “Yes, we can say that,” laughs the artist. First, I was afraid of going to French-speaking Switzerland with my show. But it was the opposite. It was incredible how I was welcomed. Everywhere. It’s a small miracle for me. »
Despite his age (“it’s just a number”), Emil always has projects: “When the brain is fit, you can work, you can write, you can learn. We have to be curious, it’s very important not to fall asleep. If I have an idea, I make it, why not. » And what about retirement? ” Never ! When I turned 65, I absolutely forgot that I was an annuitant. This word didn’t exist for me. I had an interesting job so I did it. »
The two-hour film also returns to the connection that Emil maintains with the Swiss and with his audience in general. A privileged relationship: the Lucerne resident has constantly traveled the country to perform in venues, large or small, urban and rural, but always packed. /aju
“Typical Emil – Let go and start again.”
Released in cinemas in French-speaking Switzerland on January 22. Previews from Sunday in some theaters in the Jura Arc.
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