Screenings:
August 6th, 11:00 AM, La Sala (World Premiere)
August 7th, 09:00 AM, Palacinema 1
PRISONERS OF FATE
In PRISONERS OFFATE filmmaker Mehdi Sahebi (TIME OF CLOSURE, MIRR) accompanies several Afghan and Iranian refugees as they struggle to start a new life in Switzerland. The film tells of the protagonists' experiences fleeing their homeland and the significant challenges they face starting afresh in a foreign country. Not only the rigid asylum system, but also their personal traumas are obstacles they need to overcome. In times of despair, they see themselves as prisoners of fate, but friendship and humor help them keep their hopes alive.
Supported by:
BUNDESAMT FÜR KULTUR (BAK) / SUISSIMAGE / ERNST GÖHNER STIFTUNG / UBS KULTURSTIFTUNG / JUBILÄUMSSTIFTUNG DER MOBILIAR GENOSSENSCHAFT / VEREIN SPONTANKONZERTE / FONDIA-STIFTUNG / INTERFILM SCHWEIZ: PROJEKTFONDS CÉLESTINE / REFORMIERTE KIRCHE KANTON ZÜRICH / REFORMIERTE KIRCHEN BERN-JURA-SOLOTHURN / SUCCÈS PASSAGE ANTENNE
Film Director
Mehdi Sahebi was born in Iran and came to Switzerland at the age of twenty. He studied ethnology with a focus on visual anthropology, history and international law at the University of Zurich and received his PhD with his award-winning documentary film "Time of Closure" (2006). The film won the SRG SSR prize at the 2006 Locarno Int. Film Festival (Semaine de la Critique) and the jury and audience awards at the Entrevue Film Festival Belfort. In 2016, his latest feature documentary MIRR premiered at the Duisburger Filmwoche, where it won the support grant of the city of Duisburg as well as numerous other awards at international film festivals. Sahebi works as a director, cinematographer, editor and lecturer in documentary film.