Swiss Oscar Entry 'Who Is Still Alive' Faces Campaign Challenges After Visa Refusals for Gaza Survivors

A documentary titled Who Is Still Alive, featuring the testimonies of nine survivors of the assault on Gaza, has been selected by Switzerland as its official submission for the Academy Award for best international feature film. The film's journey, however, was fraught with difficulties, beginning with the refusal of Swiss visas to the participants. This forced director Nicolas Wadimoff and his team to relocate the shoot to South Africa, where they had only ten days to prepare.

In South Africa, the nine Palestinians recreated the outlines of their homes on a black sound stage and shared their stories of loss. Now, Wadimoff faces the challenge of campaigning for an Oscar with a film that centers on raw human experiences and silences, rather than traditional star power. "We have no stars, we have no actors or actresses," Wadimoff told The National. "So we are going to run this campaign with the tools that we have and the tool that we have is humanity." He has been engaging in private screenings, including one in Dubai, and plans to travel to Los Angeles to seek further funding and introduce the film to Academy members. While Switzerland provided some financial support after the film's selection, additional funding is required.

This marks Wadimoff's first Oscar campaign in his three-decade career. He views the campaign as particularly significant for bringing the film to the United States, given its role in the ongoing conflict. "Anything that can help to raise the voices of the protagonists of the film, but also of the Palestinians from Gaza, I think is important and relevant," he stated. "I would take any opportunity to make those voices heard." The film is among the international submissions vying for a spot on the Academy's shortlist in December.

The initial plan for Who Is Still Alive involved a three-week shoot at the Vidy Theatre in Lausanne, Switzerland, with provisions for children's coaches and psychologists. The visa refusals led Wadimoff and his team to believe the film might not be made at all. Wadimoff acknowledges the apparent contradiction in Switzerland selecting the film for the Oscars after denying visas to its subjects, especially given the country's association with international humanitarian law. He noted that the Federal Office of Culture, responsible for the selection, operated independently. "It was seen by the media as a kind of opposition between the government which didn’t give the visas to the Palestinians to make the film and the government which chose the film for the Oscars," he explained. "But this is what Switzerland is. There are many different opinions on what’s going on in the same country and they coexist together." He remains cautious about interpreting the selection as a broader policy shift, suggesting it might reflect a renewed commitment to human rights traditions.

Wadimoff has a long history of bringing Palestinian stories to international audiences, dating back to his first visit in 1988 during the First Intifada. He observed a significant gap between how Palestinians were portrayed abroad and the diverse realities of the individuals he knew. "I tried all the time to fill this gap with stories," he said. "Just telling stories which are not told most of the time. I’m not the only one to do this. Palestinians do it all the time."

The filming in South Africa involved participants sharing their experiences in segments covering life before the war, during the conflict, and potential futures. Wadimoff focused on providing a space for them to speak freely. The resulting film includes extended silences as participants grapple with their emotions. Wadimoff offered to stop filming when moments became too painful, but the participants often requested a brief pause before continuing. The crew provided tissues and shared in the emotional weight of the testimonies. The film highlights poignant details, such as fourteen-year-old Ghada Alabadla's memories of riding her bicycle and musician Feras Elshrafi's recollection of his qanun playing being interrupted by a bombing. Visual artist Adel Al Taweel's story recounts his return to Gaza to be with his family during the siege, his survival of a bombing, and the loss of two relatives.

The participants' conversations sometimes reveal differing perspectives on their experiences and the future, which Wadimoff found unsurprising given his familiarity with Palestinian discourse. "I was not surprised that they would disagree and that they would have so many different opinions," he stated. "For me, it’s just normal." The initial cut of the film was four hours long, with the shortened version for festivals and cinemas retaining a focus on allowing audiences extended time to connect with the subjects. "I know it’s not very commercial, I know it’s not very spectacular," Wadimoff commented. "But we need time to empathise with them. This is what the film really has: the time that we give to the voices."

Conversations about hope are woven throughout the film. At a screening in Amman, participant Eman Shannan expressed a loss of hope since the film's creation and the ongoing pain of not reuniting with her family. When filming began in October 2024, many participants still held onto the belief that the war would end soon and they could return to Gaza. Wadimoff maintains contact with the participants, noting their sense of responsibility to maintain hope for the future of Palestinians, even if they personally struggle to envision better days. "I think they have contradictory feelings," he observed. "If they think about themselves now, I’m not sure they can imagine really good days coming. But I think they are thinking for the next generation."