Past Futures of Hydroelectricity

Swiss Dam Projects in Documentary Cinema

Abstract

This is a historic exploration on Swiss dams via the imagery of documentary films. They deal, in pro- or retrospect, with measures and discourses around the planning and construction of hydropower infrastructures for expected futures. Four crucial moments in the Swiss context of hydropower are covered: Karl Sauer explores the Lake Sihl project of the 1930s commissioned by Swiss Federal Railways. Jean-Luc Godard documents in the 1950s the construction of the Grande Dixence dam as shield against Switzerland’s risk of electricity shortage. In the 1990s Peter Liechti enters the critical discourse of planned expansions of existing projects. Finally, my photographs taken on site of Grande Dixence present moments of communication within energy landscapes, such as the infrastructure within the dam to screen the modified Godard film. Guided tours and the curated mediation program should guarantee since the early 2000s the acceptance for hydropower and foster local tourism.