Roger
Steinmann
• I am a Filmmaker since the age of 8, thus for 56 years.
• I`ve worked in Hollywood, for 12 years, where he created Illusion Infinity.
• I am also in Theater, as Writer, Producer and Director, for 44 years.
• I am for 42 years a CEO and Chairman - since I was 22.
• I won the top-prize in a TV-Quiz Show with a live-attendance of 15 million.
• My Invention was patented 41 years ago.
• I manage part-timely my cozy Boutique Hotel on Phuket, for 17 years.
Photographing at 5 years
from 1966 onwards
After I was born on November 6, 1961, in Zurich, my life started to Rock N`Roll...
...well at least, asper records, when I was 5: Because then, I started to use father`s classic still camera. And soon after I developed my photos in black-and-white – a doing I`ve learnt auto didactive at home.
The newspaper clip from Switzerland`s largest outlet BLICK refers to my Photo of the Week, and its remuneration of a modern photo camera (1976).
Super-8 Films
from 1969 onwards
When my uncle lent me his Super-8 camera,
I shot - at 8 years and all by myself - my first film, a documentary (ZÜRICH; 1969).
Another 30 short films in different genres followed, among them the awarded DIE TÜRE (1975) and DIE FLUTKATASTROPHE (1977), both aired in Swiss National TV.
And the latter was subject of a well half-page article in Switzerland`s larges newspaper (pictured).
Feature Film Project Krebs!
1978/1979
With my early success with shorts, I was encouraged to undertake the full-length feature of my original screenplay of a woman whose breast cancer threatens her life, while her husband, head of the police forces, must fight a monstrous crab threatening the city.
Zurich newspapers supported this thrilling venture, what created quite a stir.
Though after a two-year effort, this special effects laden high budgeted project proved not to be feasible. Well, after all, I`ve just turned 17 during that time, and absolved a `solid` education at the KV Zurich Business School until 1981.
Theater Activities
1982 - 1988
BESCHTI REFERENZE (aka `Buchhalter Nötzli; 1982). I produced and directed this Swiss premiere of the comedy by Hans Schubert with amateurs in Zurich. It caught the attention of popular Swiss actor Walter Roderer - and became perhaps his greatest success on stage and film.
ACHTUNG-FERTIG-LOS (1987), I wrote and produced this unusual concepted farce-comedy again with amateurs in Zurich; it was directed by my longtime creative collaborator Markus Imthurn.
SCHELMEREIE (1988). The well established amateur theater in Oberentfelden (50km from Zurich) hired me as Director for this comedy play, what attracted 10`000 (paying) spectators.
Winner in TV-Quiz Show
1983, August 2
As the only Swiss, I participated in the German quiz show Alles oder Nichts, with the topic ` life and films of Marilyn Monroe`, in front of a 15-million life-TV audience. I`ve ended up winning DM 10`000 (about USD 7`000), by defeating 73 contestants.
The picture shows me with the Moderator Max Schautzer in the ARD studio Hamburg.
Patented Invention
1983
After having detected the practical issue of constantly opening and closing bottles manually, I´ve invented an automated closure - the bottle stopper branded ROTSCH - which was patented in Europe, Canada and Australia in 1985.
Chairman and CEO
1984 onwards
I founded ROTSCH AG, which manufactured and distributed my invention internationally, along with other household articles. I became, at 22, the youngest Chairman of the Board in Swiss history of a stock holder cooperation.
Since then, I continually presided and managed Greeting Card Publishing companies. I was not only acting as CEO, but as well as creater of their luxury assortment, and as head of international sales.
In 1995, I`ve also founded a film production cooperation in Los Angeles. In 2004, it was moved to Switzerland where it continued to develop and produce films and, since 2021, also theater.
Directing Military Maneuver Documentary
1988
During my regular yearly Swiss military service as an assistant doctor, I was asked to create a documentary filme of the first maneuver at the Zurich airport. No less than 6´000 of military personnel, but also the head of the Swiss Military Department, council-minister Arnold Koller, were in front of my 14 cameras and 4 camera helicopters - not bad, since after all I only was in the rank of a simple soldier – who was uniquely allowed in doing the service mostly in civilian clothing.
Btw: The picture stands only as reference - as my entire mission was naturally top secret.
Hollywood
1991 - 2003
Over 12 years, I stayed mostly in Hollywood where I wrote and developed several screenplays for full length feature projects.
In the beginning, I took on different jobs in film, from co- and ghost-writer to assistant producer to assistant director to script doctor.
Meeting Billy Wilder
1993, Spring
Nobody else than my idol and mentor, six times Academy Award winner writer-director, BILLY WILDER (Some Like It Hot) welcomed me to a two-hour face-to-face meeting in his Beverly Hills office.
ILLUSION INFINITY
(aka Paradise)
1997 - 2003
ILLUSION INFINITY became my most important cinematic output as writer, director and producer. It features
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Dee Wallace (multiple awards; lead in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)
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Mickey Rooney (two time Academy Award winner; The Night in the Museum)
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Timothy Bottoms (Golden Globe nominee; Rollercoaster)
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Barbara Carrera (two time Golden Globe nominee; Never Say Never Again)
-
Martin Kove (multiple awards; Karate Kid)
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Theresa Saldana (Golden Globe nominee; Raging Bull)
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Lilyan Chauvin (two time Emmy nominee; Catch Me If You Can)
The Film had its World-Premiere at the Cannes Film Market, and its Asian Premiere at the prestigious Shanghai Film Festival.
Philosophical Studies
2004 - 2014
During my hiatus from filmmaking, I`ve developed the philosophical theory ‘Form versus Content’, the analysis of superficiality and pretense versus integrity and truth.
This study joined my autodidactic general knowledges of psychology, history, law and medicine – next to business and art.
Boutique Hotel in Phuket
2009 onwards
From California, I`ve relocated in 2004 to Thailand and there to the island of Phuket, alternating with Switzerland since.
Five years later, I`ve bought a villa at the beach in Karon and remodeled it into the four-star Boutique Hotel OASIS VILLA, having seven rooms.
This business I also manage at the side.
Befriending Thai Celebrity Mike Angelo
2014, June
My coincidental meeting with Thai actor and singer
Mike Angelo was a pivotal turning point in my life – and my career, as it heralded my return to film activities.
The immediate result was the film project of my original story and screenplay LADIES FIRST, a screwball-comedy, taylored to Mike in the dual role as a male lover and as a female singer who attracts the father of nobody else than his girlfriend – my mentor`s Some Like it Hot echoes not truly coincidentally.
At one point were Bruce Willis and Gerard Depardieu attached (as the `Father`). Though with Co-Producer Mike`s intensifying engagements in China, this project fell apart.
Film Venture PhonY
2016 - 2020
For more than four years, I`ve dealt with the international feature PhonY, a farce about the worldwide (ab-)use of cell phones, as usual as writer, producer, and director.
`Dealt`, because this film is only to 65% in the can - after having shot at the shores of Phuket and in the snow-mountains of Switzerland, next to documentary scenes at 30 world-destinations between Monaco, Dubai and Hong Kong.
As of now, PhonY remains unfinished - because not only did our lead actor Burt Reynolds (world-star no one over 5 years!) untimely pass away, the Corona-panic prevented further filming, but also since our American Co-Producer went to prison for 13 years (!) for embezzlement also our funds -thus I became a witness with the FBI.
Find more thrilling details about the un-making of this venture here, at its specific entry.
Renewed Theater Activities
2020 onwards
During the filming-inactive Covid-Panic, I started to write stage plays again, after a 34 years hiatus.
To date, I`ve creted six plays - all original, full-length, and as sole writer - three of them are also adapted from German to English.
My works range from a one- to an eleven-person play, and from three satires to one comedy to one drama to one crime-comedy.
Protagonist in TV-Doc
2022, January & September
Europe`s largest TV-station RTL chose me as represent of an expat in their series Die Überlebenskämpfer / Die Auswanderer (`Fighters For Survival / The Expats`) - as the only Swiss within Germans and Austrians protagonists.
Filming took place at my hotel-villa and its surroundings in Phuket in January 2022, and was aired during the following September in 3 episodes.
Btw: My current life in Phuket is quite accurately portrayed:)
Theater Production
WIN = WIN in Zurich
2022, April to November
I`ve chosen my two-character stage play WIN = WIN for a Swiss Premiere, what took place in Zurich on October 7, 2022, and run until November 5.
This comedy-satire is about the during the Corona-panic, arbitrarily imposed, social distancing-regulations.
I`ve directed Bodo Krumwiede and Florine Elena Deplazes as the two protagonists, and well known Swiss actors Christa Rigozzi, Gilles Tschudi, René Rindlisbaher, Heidi Maria Gloessner, and Bella Neri as the narrators of the off-voice characters.
Boris Bittel composed the title song, and performed in the music-video.
Fun Fact: Two years before the premiere, WIN = WIN made headlines on Switzerland`s biggest news outlet as well known German comedian Karl Dall contemplated my project.
Theater Production
RUTHLESS in London
2025, January to June
Another stage play, this time the `One-Women-Trauma` RUTHLESS - the tragic Survival of Ruth Madoff, wife of 65 billion Wall-Street-fraudster Bernard Madoff, premiered in London on June 3, 2025 - with me again in the directors- and producers-seat.
Listen to the live interview at BBC London, together with lead actress Emily Swain.
This drama is currently evaluated for a respective premiere in the USA (Broadway…), Germany, and even China.
Theater Project
OUT OF ORDER
2026 onwards
WIKIPEDIA - Links
in English / in Deutsch / en Francais / in Burmese / in Arabic
Thank you, and enjoy reading
Danke Dir, und geniesse das Lesen
Tanke Der, und gnüss s`Lese
Merci a toi, et joyeuy lire
Gracias a ti, y disfruta ler
Grazie mille, e assaporare la lettura
Muito obrigado, e desfruta a ler
ขอบคุณ และสนุกกับการอ่านครับ *
* yes, these are the languages I command - more or less... :)
Currently, I am in preparation of the political `correct` theater-satire OUT OF ORDER, a three person play with a Marie-Antoinette-Imelda Marcos-Melania Trump-like main protagonist who is disguised in her outer beauty, thus her toxic influence on her corrupt dictator-husband is widely underestimated…
The broad social media marketing of this project has already started, see my posts (pictured on Facebook). Its general results will be decisive of where the production eventually will be taken place.