KATZENBALL
Stories of Lesbian Love in Switzerland

directed by Veronika Minder
Switzerland 2005, 87 minutes, color and b/w; OV w/ German Subtitles
featuring Johanna Berends, Heidi Oberli, Ursula Rodel, Liva Tresch, Samira Zingaro

"My father warned me about men and booze, but he never mentioned women and cocaine." (Tallulah Bankhead)

To any fan of the image of a tuxedo-cad Merlene Dietrich, this film is a sure-fire hit! A thoughtful and engaging documentary about the last 80 years of lesbian history, has intersected with the women's movement and various political landscapes, KATZENBALL (Feline Masquerade) brings history to life.

Chronicling the relationships of women who love women, the social pressures to conform, the quest for identity, and secret meeting places of lesbians in Switzerland, the stories of five women of different generations bring a blend of the personal and the historical to this compelling film. Four women - cosmopolitan Johanna Berends, photographer/archivist Liva Tresch, fashion designer Ursula Rodel, and feminist Heidi Oberli - take us back to their own adventurous and ribald youths. Each form a different generation, they look at how those days compare with the freedoms of today.Not only a look into the past, the film also looks at the life of the next gerneation of lesbians through the stories of twentysomething Samira Zingaro, who acknowledges the privileges sche enjoys living in a world with such an accessible lesbian culture.

KATZENBALL takes its audience on a journey through time, from the eyes of the queer underground, offering a fascinating look at the "other side" of modern cultural history. (San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2005, Cindy M. Emch) 

Selected Awards:
Teddy Award (Best Documentary) - International Film Festival Berlin 2005
International Jury Award (Best Documentary) - identities 2005. Queer Film Festival Vienna
Audience Award (Best Documentarfy) - identities 2005. Queer Film Festival Vienna
Special Mention - Festival Internazionale di Film con Tematiche Omosessuali Torino 2005
Best Film  - Kanton Bern Film Award 2005