Longwave

Director: Lionel Baier

Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Michel Vuillermoz, Patrick Lapp, Francisco Bélard, Jean-Stéphane Bron, Paul Riniker

April 1974, two journalists working for the Swiss radio are sent to Portugal to make a reportabout Swiss aid there. Bob, a sound technician nearing retirement, goes along for the rideaboard his trusty mobile broadcast unit VW van. However, once there, nothing seems togo as planned. What with abandoned projects and others serving as a deposit to colonialtheses for supporters of Salazar, the atmosphere is highly charged between Julie, thefeminist, and the wily war correspondent, Chauvin. Not even the cheery disposition ofPelé, the young Portuguese translator, makes any difference and the team decides tothrow in the towel. But the wind of historic change steers the VW to the centre of theCarnation Revolution, turning Cauvin into a hero of the people even though hes unableto speak a word of their language, Julie into a devotee who is not quite as liberated as sheimagined and Pelé into an ardent revolutionary with an allergy to carnations. As for Bob,there is no way that the sexual freedom young people have been demanding since May68 is going to elude him on this beautiful April night of 1974.When democracy crosses your path, you must be ready to seize it no matter what, even ifit means practicing a little civil disobedience, considered a deadly sin by any good law-abiding Swiss.

Avril 1974. Deux journalistes de la radio sont envoyés au Portugal pour réaliser un reportage sur l’entraide suisse dans ce pays. Bob, technicien proche de la retraite, les accompagne à bord de son fidèle combi VW. Mais sur place, rien ne se passe comme prévu : la tension est à son comble entre Julie, la féministe, et Cauvin le reporter de guerre roublard. La bonne volonté de Pelé, le jeune traducteur portugais, n’y fait rien : la petite équipe déclare forfait. Mais le vent de l’Histoire pousse le Combi VW en plein coeur de la Révolution des Oeillets, obligeant cette équipe de Pieds nickelés à prendre part, et corps, à cette folle nuit du 24 avril 1974.