Retrospective Samir

Retrospective Samir

The 53rd Hof International Film Festival 2019 is pleased to present the Iraqi-Swiss filmmaker SAMIR to you this year. This year's retrospective is dedicated to SAMIR, one of the most versatile and committed European filmmakers. The scope of his work not only includes directing and camera work, but he also works as a producer and promoter of young talent, as well as an author and actor.

SAMIR will travel to the Hof International Film Festival and present his personal selection of films from his extensive oeuvre. He was already represented in Hof in 1988 with his film FILOU and once again in 2005 with SNOW WHITE.

„Since he was in Hof with his first film FILOU in 1988, a lot has happened in the life of this exceptional filmmaker. Director, producer, author, editor, cameraman and actor – Samir, a multi-talent! I am very much looking forward to a joint review of a selection of Samir's films and to the premiere of his latest work BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW". Thorsten Schaumann, Artistic Director of the Hof International Film Festival

The producer, writer and director SAMIR was born in Baghdad/Iraq in 1955 and came to Switzerland as a child with his parents during the 1960s. He attended the School of Design in Zurich and then completed an apprenticeship as a typographer. After that he trained as a cameraman. In the 80s he began to shoot his own movies. Through his innovative style he attracted attention early on. Meanwhile his work includes a list of more than 40 short and feature films.

Not only did he realize projects for the cinema, but he also worked with many German and Swiss TV broadcasters on television films and series, as well as continuing as a cameraman, producer and author. In 1994 he took over the production company Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion with documentary filmmaker Werner Schweizer, which is regarded as a talent factory in Switzerland. In 2012 Nicolas Wadimoff's film OPERATION LIBERTAD, which he produced, was invited to the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes. In 2015, his film IRAQI ODYSSEY was submitted by Switzerland for the Oscar® in the category Best Foreign Language Film. The retrospective will include the films:

Direction: BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW (2019), IRAQI ODYSSEY (2014), SNOW WHITE (2005), FORGET BAGHDAD (2002), BABYLON 2 (1993), FILOU (1988) as well as the short films ANGELIQUE (1997), LA ETA KNABINO (1997) and (IT WAS) JUST A JOB (1992).

Production: CHRIS THE SWISS (director: Anja Kofmel, 2018), DORA ODER DIE SEXUELLEN NEUROSEN UNSERER ELTERN (director: Stine Werenfels, 2014), DAS FRÄULEIN (director: Andrea Štaka, 2006), MIEL ET CENDRES (director: Nadja Fares, 1996).