Everyone talks about the great feasts of cinema, but raclette in movies hardly ever gets a mention. And yet melted cheese has had its moments on screen: a Swiss grandfather toasting his cheese by the fire, police officers from Valais putting a raclette oven to very unusual use, a film crew gathered around the little pans…
We’ve only kept the films and series whose link to raclette has been verified, with the source every time. The videos come from the official channels of the studios, broadcasters or directors.
Heidi (2015): the cheese scene added at the request of Raclette Suisse
In this film by Alain Gsponer, Bruno Ganz plays the grandfather and Anuk Steffen plays Heidi. Johanna Spyri’s novel already describes how the little girl’s mouth waters as her grandfather roasts the cheese on a spit, then spreads it, all golden, on the bread.
The fun part: according to a Raclette Suisse press release dated 28 September 2015, it was at the association’s request that the production company included this scene from the book in the film. Raclette Suisse then used it to make TV commercials to kick off its autumn season.
The film came out in December 2015 in German-speaking Switzerland, Germany and Austria, then in February 2016 in French-speaking Switzerland and France.
The official trailer:
Heidi, the cartoon (1974): the cheese that made raclette famous in Japan
Before the film came the 52-episode Japanese animated series, first broadcast in 1974 and created by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, who would go on to found Studio Ghibli. In Japan, Heidi is still a genuine star.
The cheese the grandfather melts by the fire became famous there. In 2009, a raclette cheese was even launched in Japan as “the cheese Heidi used to eat”, according to Walkerplus magazine.
And the story goes on: at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, the most popular dish at the Swiss pavilion’s restaurant was raclette, served with potatoes, onions and gherkins, with around 20,100 portions sold by mid-September. Visitors could also have their photo taken with Heidi.
Tschugger – Der lätscht Fall (2024): a raclette oven put to unusual use
Tschugger is a Swiss comedy crime series set in Valais, starring David Constantin and Dragan Vujic as police officers Bax and Pirmin. Its final season was also released in cinemas on 10 October 2024, as a 147-minute film titled “Der lätscht Fall” (“The Last Case”).
In an interview with Blick on 1 October 2024, David Constantin explained that in this fourth season, a raclette oven is used as a “torture” device when Bax wants to get the truth out of his colleague Pirmin. The idea got people talking in Valais. According to him, the series and the film are almost identical.
Don’t worry: at home, a raclette oven is only for melting cheese.
The film’s trailer (in Swiss German):
Mortelle Raclette (2024): a real raclette with the cast
This TV film by François Descraques, broadcast on Canal+ on 25 December 2024, is an adults-only parody horror comedy: a film crew finds itself cut off from the world by a snowstorm in an isolated Savoyard chalet.
For the release, Canal+ gathered the team around a real raclette: Esteban Vial, Bérangère McNeese, Jessé Rémond-Lacroix, Antoine Gouy, Faustine Koziel and the director chat about the shoot, their favourite Christmas films and what makes a good raclette.
The cast’s raclette party, on Canal+’s channel (in French):
Raclette à deux (A Raclette for Two, 2014): a dinner that doesn’t go to plan
This 14-minute French short film, written and directed by Maxime Dambrin, follows Benjamin, who has been invited to dinner by a young woman he likes. He is greeted by an odd character who seats him at a beautiful table set for two, and he soon realises the young woman isn’t coming.
The film was selected in 2015 for the Parisian Seasons festival in Saint Petersburg. You can watch it in full on the KIS KIS short film channel.
The full short film:
Raclette Curry (1999): when raclette meets India
Kamal Musale was born to an Indian father who came to study in Europe and a mother from the canton of Vaud. In this 8-minute Swiss short film, somewhere between fiction and documentary, he plays with this dual heritage, which he says produced a son… and an “exotic variation” of raclette.
The film is online on the director’s YouTube channel.
The short film:
Frequently asked questions
Which film shows Heidi’s grandfather melting cheese?
Heidi by Alain Gsponer (2015), with Bruno Ganz. According to Raclette Suisse, the roasted cheese scene was added at its request. It also appears in the 1974 Japanese cartoon.
Are there films with “raclette” in the title?
Yes: Mortelle Raclette (2024, Canal+), the short film Raclette à deux (A Raclette for Two, 2014) and the Swiss short film Raclette Curry (1999).
Why is raclette well known in Japan?
The 1974 Heidi cartoon is hugely popular there, and the grandfather’s melted cheese left a lasting impression. In 2025, raclette was the most popular dish at the Swiss pavilion’s restaurant at the Osaka World Expo.
Your own raclette screening
Want to keep the show going? Check out the celebrities who love raclette and our recipes.
For a successful movie and raclette night, plan the right quantities per person. And if you don’t have a machine yet, find the one that suits you.
Sources: Raclette Suisse, « Heidi liebt Raclette » (28/09/2015), Musée national suisse, Heidi big in Japan (17/07/2019), Walkerplus (21/11/2009), swissinfo, pavillon suisse d’Osaka (11/10/2025), Blick, David Constantin (01/10/2024), Swiss Films, Tschugger – Der lätscht Fall, AlloCiné, Mortelle raclette, Unifrance, A Raclette For Two, Shortfilmwire, Raclette Curry
