Switzerland’s Oscar: ‘Who Is Still Alive’ 

posted on: Aug 26, 2026

Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash

By: Megan Guzman Abbott / Arab America Contributing Writer

It’s rare for international documentaries to be nominated for an Academy Award. Yet, this new documentary exceeded all expectations. Who Is Still Alive by Nicolas Wadimoff has officially been selected by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture as Switzerland’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. 

Since its world premiere in 2025, the documentary has gained international acclaim, earning the nomination for Prix de Soleure at the Solothurn Film Festival and a Best Documentary nomination at the Swiss Film Awards. Recently, it was screened in the Panorama Suisse section of the Locarno Film Festival, building up the hype for its upcoming awards campaign.

Continuing a Legacy of Solidarity

Who Is Still Alive moves the focus away from traditional news headlines to focus on deep personal experiences of nine Palestinian refugees. The film documents their lives after escaping the crisis in Gaza, exploring themes of displacement, resilience, and loss of home. Throughout the film, Wadimoff filmed in South Africa due to travel restrictions and border closures, making South Africa one of the few nations where Palestinians from the Gaza Strip can enter without a visa. 

For Wadimoff, this film is his third major cinematic film of Palestine, following Aisheen (Still Alive in Gaza) in 2010 and The Apollo of Gaza in 2018. Aisheen followed the aftermath of 2008-2009 air strikes, and Wadimoff crafted an impressive look at daily survival in the Gaza Strip, earning the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. The Apollo of Gaza is another documentary, focusing on the disappearance and mythology of an ancient bronze statue of Apollo discovered by a Gaza fisherman. Throughout all his works, he aims on amplyhinging magrinzlaed voices and testimonies to the global stage. 

Yet this documentary is a major collaborative international product, made by Geneva-based Akka Films, France’s Easy Rider Films, Palestinian-Jordanian outfit Philistine Films, London-based Cocoon Films, and Swiss public broadcaster RTS Radio Télévision Suisse.

The Future of Palestinian Art and Film

Yet this film is much more than just a nomination. It signals a broader cultural trend, where films focus on authentic storytelling. The future of Palestinian art and film is being forged by a generation of creators who refuse to let geopolitical violence erase cultural memory. When films led by European nations address the realities of Palestinian displacement, it forces global institutions to acknowledge the artistic and historical importance of these narratives. As new networks and international corporations continue to expand, Palestinian cinema is moving to the center of global film culture, making sure stories of survival, curtail, and identity are forever embedded in cinematic history. 

A Path to U.S. and Global Audiences

In the United States, Who Is Still Alive will be released this fall by Watermelon Pictures: the same distributor behind Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated Tunisian feature The Voice of Hind Rajab. First Hand Films is handling international sales, with the film set for release in France around October, followed by other regions across the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America.

Throughout the film’s promotion, he has kept his message clear and honest: to amplify the voices of the invisible and all survivors from Gaza who continue to fight. 

Nevertheless, as the international feature gains traction with the Academy’s shortlist announcement on December 15 and the final nominations on January 21, 2027, Who Is Still Alive continues to serve as a testament to the survival and resilience of the human spirit. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 14, 2027.

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