Thrilled
It was that time again; the highlight of all Zurich events: the Zurich Film Festival.
With IWC as official partner, the Festival is now a classic of Swiss glamour.
Geri and I have been part of it for three years. We are always totally thrilled about it and start planning what to wear weeks in advance. The moment of the green carpet always makes us nervous and we feel like schoolgirls. The other important moment, for us, is meeting the celebrity who is the main guest of the evening, and watching the movie. This time around, the award was given to Dame Judi Dench.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Beatrice Lessi and Geri Preses attend the ‘Red Joan’ premiere and Golden Icon Award during the 14th Zurich Film Festival. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)
The Golden Icon Award
After the Green Carpet, in the cinema, Judi Dench gave a short speech and thanked the Festival for receiving the prize.
I have never received a prize with such a good name – Golden Icon Award sounds so wonderful, I am planning to have it attached to my name forever,
said Dench with her signature British humour.
The movie she presented, Red Joan, was received well by the Swiss audience. Personally I really loved it. However, some of the viewers were not as impressed as me, and I also read some lukewarm reviews about it. I am planning to watch it again with my husband. So for sure I felt it was a very good movie – and Judi Dench is one of the best actresses around.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Judi Dench at the 14th Zurich Film Festival. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Green Carpet
You might know it by now: the Zurich Film Festival carpet isn’t red, it’s green. Switzerland must have understood the importance of environmental issues earlier on (the Festival is turning 14 this year), because the color green is now a tradition for photographers and guests.
Here some impressions of the evening, photographed by Remy Steiner and Andreas Rentz of Getty Images.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Geri Preses attends the ‘Red Joan’ premiere and Golden Icon Award during the 14th Zurich Film Festival (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
(Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
IWC Lounge
Let me confess a weakness of mine: I love going to the IWC Lounge (a private area accessible by invitation only) because it’s exclusive and overlooks the whole action by high up. Every time the Festival opens, I go to the big tent in front of the Green Carpet and have a drink at the coffee shop just underneath. I try to see who’s in the Lounge even if official events haven’t started yet, and always feel like climbing up to spy a bit. I know exactly that this is THE place to be and imagine some celebrity must be there all the time.
So, once again, a big thank you to IWC for this glamorous invitation, the assistance and…for creating such gorgeous watches!
Alexandra Lapp, Beatrice Lessi and Geri Preses at the IWC lounge for the ‘Red Joan’ premiere during the 14th Zurich Film Festival (Photo by Remy Steiner/Getty Images for IWC)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND : Geri Preses at the IWC lounge for the ‘Red Joan’ premiere during the 14th Zurich Film Festival (Photo by Remy Steiner/Getty Images for IWC)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND. Beatrice Lessi at the IWC lounge for the ‘Red Joan’ premiere during the 14th Zurich Film Festival (Photo by Remy Steiner/Getty Images for IWC)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Alexandra Lapp, Beatrice Lessi and Geri Preses attends the ‘Red Joan’ premiere and Golden Icon Award during the 14th Zurich Film Festival (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)