Switzerland has chosen Nicolas Wadimoff’s Gaza documentary Who is Still Alive as its official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.
The documentary follows nine Palestinian refugees who fled violence in Gaza. They recount their experiences of survival, displacement and exile.
Wadimoff takes an experimental approach to their stories. On a bare stage marked with chalk outlines, the participants recreate moments from their escape from Gaza. The visual style has drawn comparisons with Lars von Trier’s Dogville.
Who is Still Alive premiered in the Venice Days section of the Venice Film Festival last year. Watermelon Pictures later acquired the film for US distribution. Its domestic release is scheduled for later this year, while First Hand Films handles international sales.
Wadimoff’s Geneva-based Akka Films produced the documentary with France’s Easy Rider Films, Palestinian-Jordanian company Philistine Films, London-based Cocoon Films and Swiss public broadcaster RTS Radio Télévision Suisse.
Watermelon Pictures was also involved in several films that featured during last year’s awards season. It distributed Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36, Palestine’s official Oscar submission, and Cherien Dabis’ All That’s Left of You, Jordan’s entry. The company also co-produced Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab, Tunisia’s submission.
Documentaries have traditionally had a limited presence in the Academy’s international feature category, although some have made history across multiple Oscar races. Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary Flee earned nominations for Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature and Best International Feature in 2021.
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s Honeyland also became the first film from North Macedonia to receive an Oscar nomination in 2019.
