title. Hide and Seek
date. 2017
category. short film
running time. 12 minutes
Story
Samira is a domestic servant working for a family of diplomats in Geneva, spending her time looking after their small daughter, until one day, a game of hide and seek presents a tempting opportunity.
Director's statement
Inspired by real events and a documentary
for Swiss television that I made in 2013 about modern slavery, the story’s main character is a domestic servant. There are hundreds of these servants who are employed and abused by families of diplomats, expatriates and even executives working for NGOs. It is still a very common reality that plagues cities such as London, New York or Geneva.
Set in a public park during the span of
an afternoon, the film tells the story of Samira’s quest for freedom. Physically and psychologically abused from childhood, the young woman follows her instinct trying to escape for a better life.
The intimate camera focuses closely on Samira’s face, capturing her soul in this desperate fight, then ultimately revealing her extreme loneliness. In the end, Samira is alone in the park which now feels like a prison.
CAST
Nastassja Tanner
Noora Tabrizi
Zoubida Akif
Kristen Vermilyea
Irene Godel
Samir Ferradji
Sebastien Teti
CREW
Anastase Liaros
Written and directed by
Thomas Szczepanski
Director of Photography
Allan Mantilleri
Sound engineer and Sound design
Thierry Charollais
Music
ALPROD films
Production
Alexandre Lachavanne
Executive producer
Maxime Raymond
Assistant camera
Julia Jeanneret
Coralie Domet De Mont
Makeup and Effects
Léa Marconi
Script
Anastase Liaros
Edited by
Boris Rabusseau
Post-production and colorist
