Luxembourgish is considered an endangered language by Unesco. It is almost only spoken in the Duchy of Luxembourg, a statelet with a population of 600,000, equivalent to the city of Baltimore. So bringing a drama in this language to the screen — any screen — might appear a supremely quixotic pursuit. But Claude Waringo tried. And tried. For 35 years.
The film and TV producer’s breakout success was the anti-hero movie De Superjhemp Ret?rns, about a bookish Luxembourgish civil servant who takes his superpowers from the local delicacy kachkéis, a cooked cheese with the consistency of glue. It sold 63,000 cinema tickets — a sensation within the borders of Luxembourg. But that was the limit. “Most people do not even know Luxembourgish exists,” says Waringo, laughing heartily.
Until, that is, something changed. American subscription streaming services arrived, and a profound shift took place in the entertainment economy. One that affected even Luxembourgish drama.