You haven't made it when you get there - as for all refugees, Kurds in Switzerland have no easy way to go about staying. This family is different: they keep their pride and remain fierce in their goals. Through interrogations and suspicion, poverty and constant fear of rejection they carry a song and a smile and don't lose their sens of humor. A Real Acting Movie.

Sehmuz, his wife Delal and their three children have saved themselves by escaping from Turkey to Switzerland. They are temporarily lodged in the asylum centre, together with refugees from Africa and East Europe that can se the funny side of everyday life despite their scars and nightmares. However, their fates do not sound genuine enough for the asylum authorities, this is what Sehmuz’ Kurdish compatriot Aziz claims. He sends Sehmuz to a Swiss who invents a credible story substantiated by documents. Sehmuz persuades Delal to pawn the family jewels and buys a new biography, which he laboriously learns by heart with the help of his children. Yet, at the decisive interview he can no longer remember the weather in Izmir…

San Sebastian (Best Actor), Fipresci Jury Special Award, Cine Mar del Plata, Tromso (comp.), Max-Ophüls-Preis (comp.) Signis Award Troia, a.m.o.

www.escape-to-paradise.ch