Mateo Ybarra’s ‘Small Talk,’ a Locarno Premiere, Takes a Peek Into Switzerland’s Last Remaining Etiquette School for Women

The hybrid documentary-fiction feature film follows Charlie as she navigates the rules of elegance, etiquette and conversation

By Roberto Prieto

Roberto Prieto

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“Small Talk,” directed my Mateo Ybarra (“Over Our Hills,” “Summer Camp”), will have its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival on Aug. 11.

The film stars Hélène Bares (“Evy & Me”) as Charlie, who signs up for a summer course at Switzerland’s only remaining etiquette school for women. Her reason for attending is to land a career within the elite luxury industry. The film profiles real women from all over the world and addresses issues of underlying gender roles, class hierarchy, and female empowerment.

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