SUMMER CAMP

description

Under the sweltering heat of summer, thousands of young scouts gather in the heart of the Swiss mountains to take part in a historic camp. Amidst rituals and minor rebellions, the children forge bonds, exchange stories and meet one another.

In an intertwining of songs and shining eyes, scouts arrive by train in the Conches Valley in Switzerland. This federal camp takes place every 14 years and brings together over 30,000 people. But behind its aspects of a grand spectacular gathering, it is primarily a summer camp where children and teenagers meet and share their personal experiences in a certain, albeit relative, freedom. At the heart of this complex and gigantic movement, youth fumble and test their limits. SUMMER CAMP offers a dive into the world of scouting governed by its own customs and traditions to delve into the more intimate realm of coming of age.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025

DIRECTOR'S BIO
Filmmaker, editor and co-founder of production company L’ARTIFICE, Mateo Ybarra studied film at the University of the Arts London and HEAD-Genève. In 2020, he co-directed his first feature film, LUX, with Raphaël Dubach, a documentary about a quirky simulation exercise by the Swiss army. The film was selected for the 2020 Locarno Film Festival, where it won the SRG SSR Award in the After Tomorrow section, and was also featured at the 2021 Thessalonik IDFF. In 2022, continuing to explore the military institution, he directed the award-winning film SUR NOS MONTS. SUMMER CAMP (2025), his second feature film, premiered at IFFR 2025. He also works for Visions du Réel - Industry department.