Movie "D'Legände vom Luchs": a new chapter in the well-known Heidi universe
Heidi is back - with a chapter that was not penned by her creator Johanna Spyri. The dubbed animated film "Heidi - D'Legände vom Luchs" is about nature conservation, reconciliation and friendship with a little lynx.
26.06.2025, 10:54
SDA
There are many fascinating things about the world of Heidi. For example, the fact that the story about the eight-year-old orphan girl who grows up with her grandfather in the mountains has been familiar to practically every child for almost 150 years. Or that the character, whether from books, films, series, radio plays or advertising, is and remains known around the world - without the basic structure of the story ever having to be changed much.
The promise of luxury
But now German director Tobias Schwarz and British screenwriter Rob Sprackling have spun the story further. They are stirring up trouble in the village of Maienfeld. A rich businessman from the city turns up and wants to build a large sawmill in Heidi's idyllic home. To convince the people of the project, he promises them material luxury. And, incidentally, protection from lynxes that occasionally snatch a chicken in the village.
And so not only does the merciless hunt for a small lynx family begin - the planned mine, which involves the clear-cutting of countless trees, puts the whole of nature in danger. Things also become threatening for Heidi and Peter when they free a lynx cub from a trap and are targeted by the dubious townsman. Together with Öhi, who is the only villager to oppose the building project right from the start.
Why is Öhi such a loner? Why are the people of Maienfeld even afraid of him? The rumor mill has already been churning in other productions. In the movie "Heidi" (2015) by Alain Gsponer, for example, it was said in the village that he had killed someone in the past. The makers of "Heidi - D'Legände vom Luchs" now get to the bottom of the matter and, to a certain extent, give the mysterious grandfather a helping hand. But until the truth comes to light and peace is restored, the prejudices fuel the big, dramatic showdown.
The fragility of an idyll
The new animated film is a successful revival of the Heidi story. In terms of the setting, it is strongly based on the original, but concentrates even more on the village community. And while the intact mountain idyll simply awakened romantic longings in Spyri, "D'Legände vom Luchs" reveals its fragility. In their work, the director and screenwriter have found the perfect balance between the spirit of the times and faithfulness to the original story.
Even before "Heidi - Die Legende vom Luchs" was released in dialect in Swiss-German cinemas on Thursday, plans for a new film version had already begun. Interested children and young people can apply for the leading roles of Heidi and Peter until July 11. The film production companies DCM Switzerland and Gaumont are planning a new edition of the classic in collaboration with SRF and RTL Germany. In the series, however, Heidi will already be twelve years old, as can be read on the SRF website. So it remains exciting.
"I was sure that everything would turn out well in the end"
Ten-year-old Nelly compared "Heidi - D'Legände vom Luchs" with the movie "Heidi" (2015) by Alain Gsponer for the news agency Keystone-SDA. She is the author's daughter and did not grow up with the Heidi novels.
Did you know Heidi before these two films?
Nelly: "I already knew who the girl was. She's pictured on my favorite chocolate drink and I think I had a picture book when I was a little kid."
Which Heidi film did you like better - the new animated film or the 2015 feature film?
Nelly: "I love stories about animals, so I found 'Heidi - D' Legände vom Luchs' more exciting. It doesn't just feature goats, but also a lynx family and a dog."
But there are scenes in "D' Legände vom Luchs" that are very scary.
Nelly: "Yes, but I was always sure that everything would turn out well in the end."
How did you like the animation?
Nelly: "Very good. Sometimes the trees in the movie looked almost more real than in nature. And I liked the little lynx. He has such big eyes, it's very cute."
What do you think of Heidi? Is she a role model for girls your age?
Nelly: "I think she's very cool because she's so brave. And I want to be as good with animals as she is. "*
*This text by Miriam Margani, Keystone-SDA, was realized with the help of the Gottlieb and Hans Vogt Foundation.
