Switzerland selects Gaza documentary for Oscar race

Switzerland has selected the documentary “Who Is Still Alive” by director Nicolas Vadimoff as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.

The film follows nine Palestinian refugees who fled the conflict in Gaza, documenting their experiences with displacement, survival, and exile. Vadimoff utilizes an experimental narrative style where participants reenact moments of their escape on a stage marked with chalk lines.

A co-production involving Switzerland, France, Palestine, and the United Kingdom, the documentary was filmed in South Africa because the participants were unable to obtain visas for Switzerland. The film has received significant critical acclaim, having previously won awards at the Venice Film Festival, the Tbilisi Film Festival, and the Solothurn Film Festival.

Watermelon Pictures has acquired the U.S. distribution rights, and the film is expected to have a local release later this year. The Academy is expected to announce the shortlists for the category in December, with final nominations revealed in January 2027.