The made for TV Swiss film Moritz (2003) focuses on issues that society still fails to address – the prejudice and misunderstanding that surround the lives of same sex couples. Similarly themed is the Spanish Cachorro, released in 1993.
Moritz’s mother is an epileptic who seems to be the only person taking care of the boy. She doesn’t want to leave her son alone and ignores the severe headaches, until one night she feels so bad that she has to go to the neighbors to ask them to keep an eye on Moritz (Jonas Rohr). The neighbors are two men living together. At first, they naturally try to find a relative the boy can stay with while his mother is in the hospital. They are able to locate his grandmother, but the boy hardly knows her and prefers to stay at his neighbors’, which of course raises the interest of the other neighbors. “Two men and a little boy” – seems scandalous for some of the neighbors haunted by their own prejudices. The rumors spread fast and Moritz’s choice to stay with his neighbors results in some name calling and bullying at his school as well.
At the same time, the village is preparing to meet the President of the Swiss Republic, and the grandmother of the boy insists that the boy be placed in a “decent “family. Shall the worst happen….?
Moritz is a touching film, which stands for issues such as tolerance and accepting people for who they are. Directed by Stefan Haupt, the film is enjoyable while at the same time a serious social drama and I don’t hesitate to recommend it.
Film title: Moritz
Release year: 2003
Director: Stefan Haupt
Cast: Lilian Fitz, Jonas Rohr, Stefan Rutz , Rudolph Straub, Anatole Taubman