Switzerland has chosen the documentary Who Is Still Alive, a prize-winner at the Venice Film Festival, as its submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Academy Awards.

Directed by Nicolas Wadimoff, the Arabic-language documentary follows nine Palestinian residents who use chalk to trace a map of their neighborhood, sharing stories about their lives before and after the genocide carried out by Israel in Gaza.

Who Is Still Alive had its world premiere last year in the Giornate degli Autori section of the Venice Film Festival, where it received the Cinema & Arts award. The production was handled by Nicolas Wadimoff, Philippe Coeytaux, and Ketsia Stocker of the Geneva-based production company Akka Films.

First Hand Films will distribute Who Is Still Alive in Switzerland, while Watermelon Pictures will handle its distribution in the United States.

“Representing Switzerland at the Oscars with our film is a great honor that fills us with joy,” Wadimoff stated. “It is also an opportunity to defend, in a clear and forceful manner, the values that have made Switzerland what it should remain: a country of humanism and humanity, of dialogue and respect for others. We will do everything possible to live up to this selection,” he added.

The film marks Switzerland’s 53rd submission since the country debuted in this category in 1961. Switzerland has obtained five nominations and four inclusions in the shortlist, and has won the award on two occasions: in 1984 with Dangerous Moves by Richard Dembo, and in 1990 with Journey of Hope by Xavier Koller.