Mauro Mueller's new film, 111 Echoes from Halifax, dramatizes the aftermath of the Swissair crash off the coast of Nova Scotia.Elevation Pictures/Supplied
Going into filming his new feature, director Mauro Mueller knew that there was only one film festival that he could hope to premiere the project: Halifax. “It is such a special place, for me and for this story,” he says. “We realized this very, very quickly into production.”
On Wednesday, the latest edition of the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) will open with the world premiere of Mueller’s 111 Echoes from Halifax, a dramatization of the aftermath of the 1998 Swissair crash off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Instead of focusing on the plane’s journey and the passengers’ final moments, though, Mueller’s film takes a Babel- or Traffic-like approach to the tragedy, the story following an intersecting series of characters (Canadian, American, Swiss) who either lost family members in the crash or were profoundly changed by the accident’s aftermath.
Ahead of the film’s AIFF premiere, The Globe and Mail spoke to the Swiss-Mexican director Mueller about honouring a community.
Ursina Lardi in 111 Echoes from Halifax.Elevation Pictures/Supplied
How important was it for you that this movie should debut in Halifax?
It was essential to bring it to the community. Even just filming portions of it in Halifax, we heard all the time about people who knew someone who went out to recover the wreckage, or hosted family members who came in the hopes of recovering their loved ones. And as soon as we say that we’re Swiss, they connect us with the Swiss 111 flight. Even so many years later, it’s still the case.
How did you come to this uniquely international story?
My business partner Björn Hering, who’s also a producer on this film, is the son-in-law of the pilot of the plane, so there’s a very personal connection. I knew the family of the pilot well, and when he first said that maybe there’s a movie here, I was very hesitant. It’s a sensitive topic, and I didn’t want to recreate a kind of disaster film. It took quite a while to understand the angle.
The choice not to depict the disaster itself was striking. We only hear a little dialogue from the pilot before danger hits. The narrative is all about the aftermath.
I deliberately didn’t want to make this into some kind of spectacle. It’s the emotional impact, the ripple effect of the tragedy, that was the focus. And once I understood that it’s not one story, but many of them, we started to do our research and picked and chose which ones we wanted to focus on. We also felt that it couldn’t just be a story of Switzerland. It’s a story of Canada, of New York.
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Are the characters real-life approximations, then?
No, they’re fictional stories. But as an example, there was a Swiss couple who did meet after the crash, like two of the characters in the film – they bonded and fell in love as they recovered over losing loved ones. That’s a beautiful story, and one we hinted at. And the fishermen who went out that night, we have them here, too, so that’s based on real stories.
What was it like assembling an international cast? Co-productions are challenging in their own respect, but here you have to ensure you’re balancing the geography of the narratives, too.
In a way, I had a little bit of privilege in that I had already done different projects in Toronto, so I was familiar with the Canadian system and with some of the actors. Assembling the crew wasn’t that difficult, either. We knew on the Swiss side who we needed, of course, but I had experience with the Canadians, too.
The film follows Canadian, American and Swiss characters who either lost family members in the crash or were profoundly changed by its aftermath.Elevation Pictures/Supplied
How long were you in Halifax shooting?
I think maybe 2½ weeks. But we did a lot of prep. I went out there way before to scout locations, and Halifax became our main base of operations – where the whole casting was happening. Then we went to Zurich. The reception in Halifax was unbelievably welcoming, though. The people there were so generous. In Switzerland, Halifax is very well-known because everyone there came together and helped. We were hosted by many families in Nova Scotia. No one asked us why we were doing this, if we were re-exposing them to trauma. It was all about sharing personal stories.
This is about a moment in history, but one that feels now quite far removed. Is one of the reasons to make this movie simply to remind people of the lingering effects a tragedy like this can leave for generations?
That’s part of it. For me, it’s a tragedy that had some positive effects. I felt like Canada really stepped up in aviation law in ensuring that these kinds of crashes never happen again. The investigation that they did was a huge investment of time and money. And the community in Halifax came together and helped in such a big way that it was kind of a master example of how to deal with a tragedy unfolding. For Swiss people, it’s a little like 9/11. Everyone remembers where they were when they heard the news. But a part of making this movie is about the philosophy of life. It can be tragic, but how can we move on? How can we deal with grief? It’s hard, but it can be beautiful.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
111 Echoes from Halifax premieres at AIFF Sept. 16 (atlanticfilmfestival.ca).