Basic Idea & Background
This is a very spontaneous project! The idea only recently came to us when Robert was re-reading some Sherlock Holmes stories and we believe that the timing of the project is one of its core elements. Why?
Sherlock Holmes fought his nemesis Prof. Moriarty in Switzerland on May 4, 1891. Often overshadowed by this death scene is his journey in Switzerland with Dr. Watson from Geneva, over the Alps to Meiringen. Combining history, fiction, culture, adventure and nature, my former roommate (Jörn) and I (Robert) will relive their journey and experiences, gathering pictures and film material to be made into a short film. For the 125th anniversary of Sherlock Holmes’ reported death, our journey begins on April 28, 2016 in Geneva, following day-for-day the events of the story, arriving in Meiringen on May 3, then the Reichenbach Falls and Rosenlaui on May 4.
Expected Output
The material that we gather will be made into a short film with the goal of igniting the imagination of Sherlock Holmes fans, while also transmitting the magic of Switzerland, comparing selected locations between 1891 and today. Many readers have never visited Switzerland and we believe that they would enjoy seeing what Holmes may have seen in the week prior to his reported death at Reichenbach Falls.
We will not reenact scenes nor wear costumes, but we will attempt to capture photos and film from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes, as if he were hiking and traveling with us.
The final film is intended to be professionally cut and edited based on our storyline, which is meant to follow the original sequence of events from «The Final Problem: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes» as closely as possible. We envision a 20-30 minute film highlighting those locations, sceneries and moments that Sherlock Holmes could have experienced along his fictional hike through Switzerland.
Who Are We?
Jörn is a scientist, film enthusiast and a former roommate of Robert’s, now living in Germany
Robert is an engineer with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, who loves projects and adventures.
We are both casual fans of Sherlock Holmes and adventurers, who had an idea in the right place at the right time. We are not professional filmmakers, but have friends who are. We have committed the time to travel and hike together and we are both experienced in media collection and storyboarding, relevant for the final short film that we wish to create.
Our Route
- April 28th (Thursday): Arrival in Geneva (via Basel) and continue towards Montreux
- April 29th (Friday): Montreux – Sion
- April 30th (Saturday): Sion – Leukerbad
- May 1st (Sunday): Leukerbad – Gemmi Pass – Kandersteg
- May 2nd (Monday): Kandersteg – Interlaken
- May 3rd: (Tuesday): Interlaken – Meiringen
- May 4th: (Wednesday): Meiringen – Reichenbach Falls – Rosenlaui – Meiringen
Historical Impressions and Materials
We have already found a digital travel guide of Switzerland from 1891 and we have collected (and are continuing to collect) images and stories of events from Switzerland in 1891. Below is a short slide presentation providing some impressions.
Such images will help us identify locations to study and to record along our journey.
Disclaimer & Money Use
We have no affiliation with any products or copyright holders of Sherlock Holmes and have no intention of commercializing any product in direct association with Sherlock Holmes. The funds raised here are primarily intended to cover the editing costs of the final short film.