Moris Freiburghaus makes history at Zurich Film Festival

The Zurich Film Festival at Zurich Opera House. Keystone-SDA

For the first time in the history of the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF), the Golden Eye in the documentary film competition has gone to a Swiss production. Zurich filmmaker Moris Freiburghaus even won in two categories with I love you, I leave you.

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Freiburghaus’s directorial debut also scooped the Audience Award and received a Special Mention in the ZFF Critics’ Jury Award category, it was announced on Saturday evening at the Award Night at Zurich Opera House.

In the film Freiburghaus accompanies his best friend, the Swiss musician Dino Brandão, through a difficult time. After travelling to Angola, his father’s home country, he suffers from manic episodes and talks about his experiences.

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“We had never seen anything like it,” said the documentary film jury in its statement. The “blunt look at mental illness and the unshakeable bonds of friendship and family” prompted the jury to award the Golden Eye in this category to a Swiss production for the first time.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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