With Late Shift, Petra Volpe puts the spotlight on the work carried out in hospitals through the eyes of the dedicated, exhausted Floria, played by German actor Leonie Benesch.
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Late Shift [Heldin], a film by director Petra Volpe about overworked nurses, is Switzerland’s candidate for the Best International Feature Film award at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in March 2026.
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This was announced by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) on Tuesday.
In her film director and author Petra Volpe pays tribute to hospital nursing staff and accompanies a nurse on her late shift. The situation in the hospital is hectic due to a lack of staff, and the nurse, Floria (Leonie Benesch), is constantly under pressure.
“A modest and committed protagonist becomes a heroine in a stressful working environment, impressively demonstrating the incredible challenges that healthcare staff around the world have to overcome every day (and night),” wrote the FOC jury.
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Berlin Film Festival: the heroic ‘Late Shift’ of a Swiss nurse
Late Shift [Heldin] had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale, in February. The Swiss-German co-production has been a success in cinemas in German-speaking countries, with more than 600,000 entries.
The Safe House [La Cache] by French-speaking Swiss director Lionel Baier and Hanami, the feature film debut by Denise Fernandes from canton Ticino, were on the initial Swiss shortlist for the “Best International Film” category.
An announcement will be made in December whether Late Shift [Heldin] is on the final shortlist eligible for an Oscar next year.
Adapted from German by DeepL/sb
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