The Substance

Switzerland / Germany, August 2011
FILM, Documentary, 89 min.

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directed by
Martin Witz
Written by
Martin Witz
Status
In distribution

In 1943 the chemist Albert Hofmann stumbled on to a hitherto unknown substance in his Basel laboratory. After an experiment on himself he realized he had discovered an extremely potent agent that radically changes human perception. During the fifties psychiatrists started using the new substance, LSD, as a medication. In the sixties this “atomic bomb of the mind” started to wreak real havoc when it was used outside the clinics. LSD seemed to be tailor made for society’s dropouts. Then in the seventies LSD was put on a blacklist. Today such psychedelic drugs are being used legally again for the first time. Will LSD perhaps become a remedy once again just as Albert Hofmann always envisioned it?

Nel 1943 il chimico Albert Hofmann scopre nel suo laboratorio di Basilea una sostanza, fino allora sconosciuta. Dopo una prova effettuata su di sé, capisce che si tratta di una sostanza in grado di modificare radicalmente le facoltà percettive dell’uomo. Ciò che non può ancora intuire, è che la «Bomba atomica dello spirito» da lui scoperta cambierà il mondo. La storia dell’LSD presentata dalle origini ad oggi.

credits

World Premiere
August 2011
Original Version
English, German,  colour, HD Cam, 89 min.
ISAN
0000-0002-C704-0000-E-0000-0000-W
Production
ventura film sa, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Teleclub AG, Lichtblick Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH, Spotlight Media Productions AG
Producer
Andres Pfaeffli, Elda Guidinetti
directed by
Martin Witz
Written by
Martin Witz
Cinemato­graphy
Pio Corradi, Patrick Lindenmaier
Editing
Stefan Kälin
Sound Editing
Roland Widmer, Stefan Willenegger
Sound Design
Roland Widmer, Stefan Willenegger
Re-Recording Mix
Guido Keller
Music
Marcel Vaid
Location Sound Mix
Russ Jaquith, Balthasar Jucker

World Sales / World Rights

World Sales
Autlook Filmsales GmbH

Worldwide Distribution

Denmark
DR Danmarks Radio TV Rights
Germany
mindjazz pictures Distribution
Release date: 17.05.2012
Germany
ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen TV Rights
Israel
Channel 8/Noga Communication TV Rights
Netherlands
Cinema Delicatessen Distribution
Release date: 03.05.2012
Switzerland
Frenetic Films Distribution

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