Switzerland has chosen QUI VIT ENCORE, a documentary about nine Palestinian refugees from Gaza, as its entry for the 2027 Oscars, placing the film in contention for the International Feature Film shortlist.
The Federal Office of Culture (FOC) announced the selection Aug. 13, 2026, naming director Nicolas Wadimoff’s film as Switzerland’s submission in the category. The documentary follows the participants as they describe their lives in Gaza and their departure. SWISS FILMS says the film’s restrained setting includes Gaza’s outline drawn in chalk within a bare space.
Wadimoff had planned to film in Switzerland. At a preview in Biel, Wadimoff said the participants were due to collect their visas at the Swiss Embassy in Cairo; he said he was told at the appointment that the visas would not be issued. Keystone-SDA reported his account, which SWI swissinfo.ch carried. Wadimoff said the production then moved to South Africa.
SWISS FILMS identified South Africa as one of a limited number of places that admitted Palestinians from Gaza without visas. The organization also coordinates Switzerland’s selection process and provides financial and communications support for the Oscar campaign.
The film premiered in Venice in 2025 and received the Prix de Soleure in early 2026, according to SWISS FILMS. In a statement carried by the organization, Wadimoff called the selection “a great honor.”
Switzerland’s choice makes the documentary its Oscar submission, but does not mean it has reached the shortlist or received a nomination. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is scheduled to announce the shortlist Dec. 15, 2026, nominations Jan. 21, 2027, and hold the 99th Oscars ceremony March 14, 2027.
