‘Iraqi Odyssey’ to represent Switzerland at Oscars

The Federal Office of Culture confirmed on Thursday that the film Iraqi Odyssey would be Switzerland’s official entry to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the “Best Foreign Film” category for 2016. 

Born in Baghdad, the director Samir grew up in Switzerland. He tells the story of his globalised middle-class Iraqi family, scattered between Auckland, Moscow, Paris, London and Buffalo, New York. It shows Iraqis as secular, cultured and open to the world in contrast to how they are normally portrayed in the media. 

The culture office called it “a film that gives a unique insight into a country marked by war and caricatured by the stereotypes in the media”. The city of Delémont where the selection was revealed will support the promotion of the film in Los Angeles to the tune of CHF10,000 ($10,352) 

The list of films nominated for Oscars in each category will be published by the Academy in January 2016. The awards ceremony will be held on February 28 in Los Angeles.