Background information
We love to lüft: the very German and Swiss art of airing a room
by Katherine Martin
Luka Popadić is a secondo, director, officer – and part of «My Swiss Army»
19-4-2024
Are people of second generation who do military service in Switzerland «true» Swiss? That’s exactly what writer and director Luka Popadić wants to find out in his film. Yet he himself is a secondo – second generation – and a Swiss officer. Let’s get into it.
«Black coffee,» says Luka Popadić with a sigh of relief as he finally gets his steaming paper cup at Deli 1993 restaurant bar in Zurich. «I simply can’t function without coffee,» he adds.
It’s a Friday morning – not that early. Before taking his seat in the restaurant, Luka’s wearing a smart black coat and woolly hat, as well as sporting glasses and a beard. It’s cold outside. As soon as he sips the black golden substance, his gaze sharpens, and his voice certainly does. As well as being a Serbian-educated author and director, Luka is also an officer in the Swiss military.
This is exactly what he wanted to make a film about – the Swiss militia system. But it turned out completely differently. It morphed into a film that asks a lot more personal questions. For instance, whether secondos – in other words, those born in Switzerland to immigrant parents – are «real Swiss».
Where there’s fear, there’s also an expanse
Luka Popadić was born in Switzerland. In 1980, to be precise. And when he talks about his wild youth in Baden in his Limat Valley Swiss German, his local patriotism couldn’t be clearer. Then, in 2009, he returned to his parents’ homeland of Serbia, where he completed his master’s in film directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade five years later.
«But you’re a director! In Serbia! Why do you have to join the military? In Switzerland of all places?»
Luka begins to tell me about the origins of his latest film, saying things must have been set in motion in 2014. At that time, he’d already made several short films and presented them at film festivals around the world. Then came the moment when he had to be excused from an upcoming film festival in Serbia. Luka remembers it as though it was yesterday:
«Sorry, I won’t be there next time. Unfortunately, I have to spend a few weeks in the military.»
«Sorry, what? Did you just say the military?»
«Yep.»
«You mean here in Serbia?»
«No, no. In Switzerland.»
«Switzerland!? But you’re a director! In Serbia! Why do you have to join the military? In Switzerland of all places?»
«Well, I’m also an officer in the Swiss military.»
«An officer? But how can you be an officer when you’re already a director? That’s crazy. You can’t be both, can you?»
And that’s how the idea for his first feature-length film based on the Swiss militia system was born.
The search for the expanse
However, Luka soon realised that while the Swiss military was a topic that’d make for an exciting report, it didn’t provide enough gravitas for a film he could take to the big screen. It needed more. More depth. More narrative.
«Then I thought of something else,» he explains. It occurred to him that his Serbian colleagues were also fascinated by the idea of a «Serb» doing military service in Switzerland despite still working and living in Serbia at the time. Why was that? What makes a second generation person do that?
«Most of all, how do the «real» Swiss in the armed forces perceive me?"
Luka wants to delve deeper into the topic and explore the fear of finding out the answer. Is Switzerland more than just a host country for him and other secondos? And above all, how do the «real» Swiss in the armed forces perceive him?
«Where there’s fear, there’s an expanse.»
All this time, Luka hadn’t stopped sipping his cream coffee. He now put his paper cup down on the table for the first time. It’s empty. «During my next stint in the military, I got in touch with the Swiss Armed Forces press office. I told them about myself, my previous work and the idea I had.» Luka leans forward, takes a quick look at the paper cup and makes sure it’s actually empty. Then he leans back again.
It took weeks for the military to respond. «They work on Bern time,» Luka jokes. But he did eventually get the green light. And not just from anyone. Directly from the federal government, from the head of the department no less. Smiles all round. «I was flummoxed.»
Less glorification, more authenticity
«I never gave the Swiss army permission to veto my creative work. I wanted to be independent. This was something that was important to me.»
However, as a letter from the head of the army notes, they were keen to establish a «dialogue» with the Swiss people – and Luka rightly gives the military leadership credit for this. This may have been classic miliary jargon, but it was sincere. For Luka, this was both euphoric and scary at the same time. Ultimately, the army was placing a lot of trust in him.
«The Swiss army never had permission to veto my creative work. I wanted to be independent. This was something that was important to me. Without that caveat, I simply wouldn’t have made the film, and the army respected this,» explains Luka. In return, he assured the military he’d always be open and transparent about the status of the project. Meanwhile, the army was confident that Luka wouldn’t do them dirty.
Three protagonists – one too few
«The film was good, but not good enough. It felt like something was still missing. Or rather, someone was missing – me.»
However, none of the film’s three protagonists used their right to veto, which makes Luka quite proud. For him, this meant he’d prepared his questions well and asked them fairly, in the context of the film, at least. For instance, if they’d be prepared to give their lives for Switzerland should there ever be a war. Heavy stuff.
But there was one character missing.
«You’re right. I resisted being in the film myself for a long time. I don’t like being the centre of attention. I prefer to leave that to others,» says Captain Popadić of all people, sitting casually in his chair. If he feels uncomfortable admitting it, he doesn’t let on. Luka could definitely have been an actor as well as an author and director.
In fact, his reluctance was probably one of the reasons the production of «My Swiss Army» took eight years. It was partly because the pandemic slowed things down in 2020. But Luka had actually already finished the film in 2021, including editing, sound and even subtitles. However: «The film was good, but not good enough. It felt like something was still missing. Or rather, someone – me.»
That’s it. The fear that blocked his expansive view.
Luka made a difficult decision.
Expanse comes into view
«I gave up on the first cut,» sighs Luka, «it was just impossible to thematise my own story and weave it into the current cut. It wouldn’t have fitted. We really had to start from scratch again.»
«If the left supported the film, it’d probably indirectly mean supporting the military.»
«Even financing the film didn’t go smoothly. Secondos in the military is still an uncomfortable topic for some.» Luka sees himself as politically neutral. However, he received more support from the political right. «Crazy, isn’t it?"» he says with a mischievous grin. But when he thought about it, he realised why.
«For the left, supporting the film means indirectly supporting the military,» explains Luka a little more seriously as he leans forward and notices that his cup of black coffee is still empty. «At the same time, they couldn’t actively speak out against the film because that’d also be against secondos – a political no-go. So they were stuck in limbo where no reaction was also a reaction, but the least bad of the options.»
The quiet disappointment of this man from Baden with Serbian roots is palpable. After all, his film is intended to be more than «just» about secondos in the military or about sending a certain message. Rather, everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves what they like about the film. «I just want to show how complex and multifaceted Switzerland is. And if the film ends up helping us all feel a little more connected, then I’ll be happy.»
Luka’s gaze wanders back to the paper cup. He finally grabs it and stands up. «Right, now I need another black coffee.»
My Swiss Army has been showing in over 30 German-speaking cinemas since 4 April, including those in Baden. The documentary will be released in French-speaking Switzerland at the beginning of September 2024.
Header image: Ascot Elite / "Real Swiss"
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
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