The 56th edition of Visions du Réel will open on 4 April 2025 with the world première of Blame, the latest feature-length film from renowned Swiss filmmaker Christian Frei. The film combines an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 with a reflection on the place and role of science in the face of political pressure. Retracing the COVID-19 global health crisis, Blame is also closely interlinked with recent events, particularly the re-election of 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump. The opening ceremony will be attended by Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider.
A scientific thriller on the origins of COVID-19
Blame focuses on the destiny of three scientists. After having researched the origin of the SARS epidemic which broke out in China in 2003, they were unwittingly thrown into the spotlight during the COVID-19 crisis. Their numerous studies showed that coronavirus was transmitted to humans by bats. Despite in-depth proof, some political and media sources, notably within the Trump administration, chose to discredit their results, instead supporting the hypothesis of a leak from the virology laboratory in Wuhan. In this film, Christian Frei highlights the resulting disarray, and the battle fought by these protagonists to find solutions for the future, while others prefer to denigrate their work to defend other interests. In terms of the growing impact of disinformation and fake news, the Swiss filmmaker strives to highlight the place and role of science in contemporary society. “For me, Blame is much more than a film about bats and viruses. I actually think that this film is relevant to the world of today, where opinions are polarising and feeding into a frenzy without being based on any facts.” Christian Frei states.
Filmmaker biography
Christian Frei was born in Schönenwerd, in the canton of Solothurn, in 1959. After studying in the department of journalism and communication at the University of Fribourg, Christian Frei started work as a filmmaker in 1981 with his first short film Die Stellvertreterin. In 1997, he released his first feature-length documentary, Ricardo, Miriam y Fidel, which follows Miriam, a Cuban woman looking to emigrate to the United States. In 2001, there was a turning point in Christian Frei’s career with the release of War Photographer, the first Swiss documentary to be nominated in the documentary category at the Oscars the following year. With his diverse feature-length films, including The Giant Buddha (2005), Space Tourists (2009) Sleepless in New York (2014), or even Genesis 2.0 (2018), Christian Frei has become one of the most influential documentary filmmakers in Switzerland. He also produced the films Raving Iran (2016), Saudi Runaway (2020), and Girl Gang (2022).
Opening ceremony attended by Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider
The official opening of the Visions du Réel Festival will take place on Friday 4 April 2025 at the Théâtre de Marens in Nyon, attended by Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, State Councillor Nuria Gorrite, and the Mayor of Nyon, Daniel Rossellat. The ceremony will be hosted by actress and filmmaker Kayije Kagame.
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