Swiss Police arrest expat filmmakers who staged a fake robbery

As it’s often said, in order to give your best performance on stage or screen, you must completely inhabit the character you’re portraying. A group of expat Swiss actors may now be regretting their immersion into the art of acting, as their staged armed robbery led to their arrest by Swiss authorities.

Neuchâtel Heist Takes Place as Part of a 48-Hour Film Contest

According to a report from the Neuchâtel city police, the story begins when six expats – José, Julian, Davide, Dylan, Eva, and Dan – embarked on creating a short film for the 48 Hour Film Project in Geneva. This global event brings together over 50,000 amateur and professional filmmakers from 100 cities across the world, who are given a weekend to conceive, shoot, edit, and submit a short film.

The results are subsequently screened in local theaters, with awards akin to the Oscars presented for Best Acting, Best Directing, and the coveted Best Film prize. Regrettably for the expat filmmakers in Neuchâtel, their endeavor took an unforeseen turn when they decided to craft a comedy centered around a mock robbery involving a fake firearm.

Replica Firearm Triggers a Massive Response from Swiss Law Enforcement

Due to the tight time constraints, the group was unable to notify the public that they were about to film scenes that appeared alarmingly similar to preparations for an actual armed robbery in an alley near Avenue des Vignobles. Unsurprisingly, a concerned local resident, observing the group and the replica weapon from their window, chose to disregard the cameras and alert the Neuchâtel police.

The expat filmmakers soon found themselves confronted by a significant contingent of heavily armed and well-equipped Swiss police officers. “We were taken aback by the timing of this incident during our film shoot. We ventured into the alley multiple times but refrained from approaching Avenue des Vignobles, fearing we might be mistaken for real criminals,” explained scriptwriter José to 20 Minuten.

Expats Extend Their Apology for Transforming Neuchâtel into a Makeshift “Ocean’s Eleven”

Approximately an hour later, the Swiss police were prepared to take action against the faux robbers. They entered the apartment where the expat filmmakers were located and began searching for the reported firearm. Subsequently, four out of the six creators were handcuffed by emergency services and transported to the police station, where they were individually interrogated for a duration of three hours. The film crew is currently facing criminal charges, and their prop firearm has been confiscated.

In a statement, the Neuchâtel police emphasized, “In the current climate, encounters with individuals brandishing weapons generate fear and alarm among the public, and it is evident that, without proper authorization from the municipality for such activities, law enforcement must respond.” For their part, the expat filmmakers now commence their piece with a heartfelt apology to the citizens of Neuchâtel for inadvertently transforming a section of their city into a heist film, without prior notification to the community.