Swiss films in Haifa (Israel)
03.10.2006
At the 22nd Haifa International Film Festival (Israel), taking place from October 7-14, 2006, the successful feature film «Vitus» by Fredi M. Murer (Hugofilm, Zurich), and the documentary film «The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez» by Heidi Specogna (Production: PS Films, Zurich) will be presented. Two Swiss co-productions with foreign directors will also be part of the festival program: «La Stella che non c’è» by Gianni Amelio (Co-production Carac Film, Berne), and «Pour aller au ciel il faut mourir» by Djamshed Usmonov (Co-production Saga Film, Lausanne).
The documentary film by Heidi Specogna tells the story of Guatemalan Gutierrez, who grew up in the streets and planned to achieve more in life by joining the US army in order to obtain a US citizenship, and who ended up losing his life in the war in Iraq. The film celebrated its international premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City in January 2006. It participated at the Munich Filmfest and can currently be seen at the Mill Valley Film Festival in California and in Rio de Janeiro. It received an invitation to be screened in Leipzig in November, and will be shown to the public again in January 2007 at the two renowned film festivals in Göteborg and Saarbruecken. Its theatrical release in Switzerland is in the planning for the beginning of 2007. In Greece, «The Short Life of José Antonio Gutierrez» will reach the movie screens at the end of October.
Zurich, October 3, 2006
Zurich, October 3, 2006