Freedom – Le Destin de Shewit

11DecThursday September 10th, 2026 By First Hand Films

To escape oppression and a haunting past, Shewit, risking her life, fled Eritrea. At the age of 15, after having been imprisoned by human traffickers in Libya, she finally reaches Switzerland, the country where she has placed all her hopes. Seven years later, she still does not have a permit, her fate resting in the hands of the Swiss authorities. A migrant in amnesty, threatened with deportation, Shewit maintains her fight to achieve her dream: to become a free woman. A battle for her emancipation, filmed over the course of a decade.

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Laundry (Uhlanjululo)

11DecWednesday September 9th, 2026 By First Hand Films

South Africa, 1968. Apartheid is the law of the land. Khuthala, a gifted young musician, wants nothing to do with his family’s laundry business. He dreams of jazz, of a life shaped by music, not soap and steam. But when the apartheid government begins cracking down on Black-owned businesses, and Khuthala’s father is arrested and brutally beaten, the dream begins to collapse.

To save his father, Khuthala makes an impossible choice — one that will betray his closest friends and his own ambitions. But in the world of apartheid, even sacrifice is not enough

A powerful story of courage and an unshakeable will to resist. Set against the brutal backdrop of apartheid, this moving drama tells the story of a young man’s struggle to protect his family, his dignity and his dream of freedom. With passion and humanity, the film “Laundry” reminds us that even in the darkest of times, hope can be a great source of strength.

Who is still alive

26AugSunday September 6th, 2026 By First Hand Films

Swiss entry for the 2027 Oscars

Deeply moving and quietly powerful – a haunting film about loss amid humanitarian catastrophe – and about preserving identity in dark times.

A chalkboard, sketchily drawn, the outline of Gaza and nothing but words: Nine Palestinian refugees talk about life in the Gaza Strip before the war and before fleeing from hell. They talk about their deep connection to their homeland Gaza, their families and friends.
Their former lives lie in ruins. By sharing their experiences in conversation, the refugees find themselves and their way back to life. They are no longer ghosts.

QUI VIT ENCORE is a film like no other: intimate, human and universal. It tells the story of Gaza through those who built its future: entrepreneurs, a musician, a doctor and an influencer. Through their eyes, we discover a reality that is rarely shown on screen, far removed from the images in the news, characterised by resilience, creativity and hope.

This deeply humanistic film, which celebrated its international premiere in the renowned Giornate degli Autori section in Venice, has evoked a great emotional response and won the Cinema & Arts 2025 award. The film was also honoured at the Mostra Internacional del Cinema de São Paulo for its narrative power and social relevance.

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Barbara Buser – Pioneer of Sustainability

31JulTuesday September 8th, 2026 By First Hand Films

Sorry, this entry is only available in DE, FR and IT.

Die preisgekrönte Basler Architektin Barbara Buser rettet Gebäude vor dem Abriss und baut diese mit wiederverwendetem Material um. Sie verwandelt ehemalige Industrieareale zu urbanen Lebensräumen, die für einen sorgfältigen Umgang mit unserer Umwelt und dem Miteinander stehen.

Als Frau, die in einer Männerdomäne erfolgreich ihren eigenen Weg geht, ist Barbara Buser Vorbild für die junge Generation, die für eine nachhaltigere, gerechtere Welt kämpft. Ausgezeichnet mit allen wichtigen Architekturpreisen weltweit, ist die Visionärin gefragt bei allen Forschungszentren der Universitäten und Technischen Hochschulen in der Schweiz und weltweit.

Barbara Buser ist die Pionierin der Nachhaltigkeit und beeindruckt durch ihre Weitsicht, ihren Durchsetzungswillen und ihre unbändige Schaffenskraft. Sie hat Areale, öffentliche Räume, Häuser und Plätze in Winterthur, Basel und Zürich – um nur einige wenige Orte zu nennen – nachhaltig zu lebendigen und zukunftsweisenden Begegnungsorten umgestaltet.

2020 erhielt sie den Meret Oppenheim Preis. Sie studierte an der ETH und arbeitete in Kooperation mit der Technischen Hochschule im Sudan und Tanzania bevor sie in der Schweiz ihre Visionen für zukünftiges Bauen anfing umzusetzen.

Barbara Buser – Pionierin der Nachhaltigkeit – ein Film, der erstaunliches vermittelt, inspiriert und zum Nachdenken anregt – all das mit viel Schwung, Humor und Leichtigkeit.

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Category: Currently in the cinema