First Trailer for Swiss Film ‘A Happy Family’ About an Unhappy Family

by Alex Billington
July 31, 2026
Source: YouTube

“Children are safe when someone is there with them.” A first look promo trailer is available for an indie film from Switzerland titled A Happy Family, made by filmmaker Jan-Eric Mack. This recently premiered at the 2026 Karlovy Vary Film Festival this July, where it was competing in their Crystal Globe Competition section (though it didn’t win any awards). Niki has two jobs, no money, and no time. After a fire turns her life upside down, her children are placed in foster care. Banned from contact, she creates a new identity to secretly stays close to them. When she risks being exposed, everything is at stake… Anna Schinz leads the cast as defiant momma Niki, along with Julia Jentsch, Bettina Stucky, Michael Neuenschwander, and Martina Apostolova. Early reviews from KVIFF state: “The upended narrative tones, speckled with moments of painfully empathetic moments, manages to feel like a blend of Ken Loach’s Ladybird Ladybird (1994).” Adding that: “If every unhappy family is unhappy in their own way, this one is jaggedly unique.” Keep an eye out for this one if you’re seeking indie discoveries. It looks quite similar to Fjord in many ways.

Here’s the festival promo trailer for Jan-Eric Mack’s film A Happy Family, direct from YouTube:

Intro via KVIFF: “Niki (Anna Schinz) works two jobs, but the little money she earns is barely enough to cover the living expenses for her & two young children. One day, when the children are left unsupervised, they accidentally set the kitchen on fire, and so the Swiss authorities place them with a foster family on the other side of the country. Though forbidden from contacting her children, Niki decides to track them down. The first Swiss film to be screened in Karlovy Vary’s Crystal Globe Competition, Happy Family draws its strength from a determined yet ambivalent protagonist whose actions shed light on a rigid social system while reflecting the conflict between parental instinct and personal responsibility.” More film details here.

A Happy Family is directed by Swiss indie filmmaker Jan-Eric Mack, making his feature directorial debut after many shorts and the “Wilder” and “Davos 1917” series previously. The screenplay is written by Nikita Afanasjew, Eva Kienholz, Jan-Eric Mack, & Anna Schinz. Produced by Martin Joss and Peter Reichenbach. This first premiered at the 2026 Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Crystal Globe Competition this summer. No release dates are set yet – stay tuned for more updates. Expected sometime in 2027. Anyone interested?

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