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Alpine love story chosen as Swiss Oscar entry

film
Hugofilm

Michael Koch's Drii Winter will be Switzerland’s official entry with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood for the Best International Film category.

The decision was announced by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture on Friday. Whether the film will make it onto the Oscars nomination shortlist will only be known in December.

Drii Winter (the international title is A Piece of Sky) is a love story set in a remote mountain village, where the relationship between Anna and Marco is put to the test. Anna was born in the village, while Marco is a recent outsider to the valley. But when Marco suddenly begins to self control, all the latent tensions in the village community resurface. Anna begins to fight against all odds to hold on to Marco.

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“The film is carried by remarkable amateur performers, who surrender to the rhythm of nature and present us with protagonists who are at one with the frugal world of the mountains. Thus it is not only against adverse circumstances that the young couple’s love will stand up, but even against the inevitability of death,” said the jury. 

The Zurich-based production company Hugofilm Features has co-produced the film with the German company Pandora Film Produktion. The Swiss premiere will take place on August 9 as part of the Swiss Panorama section of the Locarno Film Festival.

Drii Winter has already achieved considerable success at festivals: it was selected by the Berlinale for its international competition and received a special mention from the jury. Drii Winter has been invited to more than 20 festivals to date.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood will publish its short list on December 21 and announce the five Oscar nominees in the Best International Film category on January 24. The Oscars will be presented on March 12 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.

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