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Olga

Swiss nominee for Oscars 2022! Remarkable, coming of age drama on a Ukrainian gymnast exiled in Switzerland when war breaks out at home. “For freedom we will give our body and soul” is a song from the Maidan revolution where Olga’s mom, an activist and journalist, struggles for freedom while her daughter must make important decisions on her own. They are both devoted, they are both passionate.

Synopsis

Olga is a talented teenage Ukrainian gymnast exiled in Switzerland. She is dreaming of Olympic gold and trying to fit in with her new team in her new home. As she prepares for the European Championships, the Ukrainian people back home in Kyiv rise up in what has become known as the Maidan Revolution, suddenly involving everyone she cares about. A tense, sensitively handled tale of exile reflecting the clash between the personal and the political.

Switzerland, France, Ukraine | 2021 | 85 min

DIRECTOR: Elie Grappe

PRODUCTION: Jean-Marc Frohle – Point Prod, Tom Dercourt – Cinema Defacto

CAST: Anastasia Budiashkina, Caterina Barloggio, Jerome Martin

SCREENPLAY: Elie Grappe, Raphaelle Desplechin

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Lucie Baudinaud

EDITING: Suzana Pedro

SCREENING: Thursday 24.11. / 21:15h / Zaal 3 & Friday 25.11. / 14:00h / Zaal 5

Festivals & Awards (selection)

Cannes FF, 2021 – SACD Award for Best Screenplay at International Critics Week; World Premiere | Switzerland’s official submission for International Feature Film competition for the 94th Academy Awards | Brussels IFF, 2021 – Best International Feature Film, Audience Award | Gijon IFF, 2021 – Best Actress | Hamburg FF, 2021 – Best Feature | Swiss Film Prize, 2022 – Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Sound

Director’s bio

Born 1994 in France. Elie Grappe completed musical training at the National Conservatory in Lyon. After attending the preparatory course at École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL) he proceeded to study film, receiving his Bachelor in film from ECAL in 2015. His short documentary film REHEARSAL (2014) was selected for IDFA, Clermont-Ferrand and Krakow Film Festival. His short fiction film SUSPENDU (2015) was shown at 60 film festivals worldwide and garnered numerous awards. OLGA (2021) is his first feature-length fiction film. She lives and works in Switzerland.