Samir (filmmaker)

Samir was born the son of a Swiss mother and an Iraqi father in Baghdad. Samir's full name is Samir Jamal al Din / Samir Jamal Aldin. His family moved to Switzerland in 1961, where he went to school. He attended the School of Design in Zurich (today's ZHdK), completed an apprenticeship as a typographer (1971–73) and subsequently trained as a cameraman with Condor Films. From 1983, he worked as a freelance director and cinematographer. From 1984 to 1991 he was a writer and member of Videoladen Zurich (Video Store Zurich). In 1994, he and documentary filmmaker Werner Schweizer overtook the {{ill|Dschoint Ventschr|de}} film production company.

From the mid-1980s, Samir began to produce his own films. In the 1990s he worked on behalf of Condor FilmsSamir mentioned (a.o.) in the Filmography (selection) section at [http://www.condorfilms.com/uploads/extra/portrait/index_e.html Condor Films company portrait] (condorfilms.com)

as a director of series like EurocopsSamir mentioned (a.o.) in the [http://www.srf.ch/medien/wp-content/uploads/chronik/upload/Eurocops-CH-Produktionen.pdf. Eurocops Schweiz] press release of SRF (srf.ch)

and television films for German TV stations. His list of works – as a writer, director and/or producer – now includes over 40 short and feature films for cinema and TV.[http://www.swissfilms.ch/en/information_publications/catalogue/catalogue_detail/-/year/2010/genre/lfd/id_person/7891 SWISS FILMS: Samir] at {{ill|Swiss Films|de}} (swissfilms.ch)[http://www.dschointventschr.ch/en/about/whoiswho/samir SAMIR Producer, Author, Director] – bio- and filmography at {{ill|Dschoint Ventschr|de}} (dschointventschr.ch)

In 2006 Samir received the Aargau Culture Award (Aargauer Kulturpreis).[http://www.azmedien.ch/downloads/medienmitteilungen/2006/2006-04-19_kulsturpreis-an-samir.pdf Samir erhält den Aargauer Kulturpreis 2006], media release, {{ill|AZ Medien|de}} (azmediengruppe.ch), 4/19/06

Samir has chosen to only use his first name, as explained in this quote:

{{Quote|...why? "Jamal al Din means 'beauty of religion'. I do not know how you would feel if you were not very religious, and would always have to say, 'Hello, my name is Beauty of Religion'," says [he] ...For me Samir is perfect, as that means 'Storyteller'.[http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/iraqi-odyssey-auf-der-berlinale-geschichten-aus-dem-sorgenland/11344274.html "Iraqi Odyssey" auf der Berlinale: Geschichten aus dem Sorgenland] ("Iraqi Odyssey" at Berlinale: Stories from the Worries Land), by Daniela Sannwald, Tagesspiegel (tagesspiegel.de), 2/8/15}}

as director (selection)

• 1984 Stummfilm / Silent Film (short film)
• 1985 Schiefkörper-Video / Division Ring Video
• 1986 Morlove – Eine Ode für Heisenberg / Morlove – An Ode for Heisenberg (feature film, also writer)
• 1988 Filou (feature film, also writer)
• 1991 Immer & Ewig / Always & Forever (feature film, also production, screenplay, cinematography))
• 1992 (It was) Just a job (also writer, camera)
• 1993 Babylon 2 (documentary)
• 1994 Eurocops
• 1994 La productrice
• 1995 Die Drei – Hass; Jetzt oder nie; Todesoperation / The Three – Hatred; Now or Never; Death Surgery
• 1996 {{ill|Tödliche Schwesternliebe|de}} / Deadly Sister Love
• 1997 Angélique (Blind Date)
• 1997 La eta Knabino (short film, also screenplay, production supervisor)
• 1998 Projecziuns Tibetanas (documentary, screenwriting, cinematography, editing)
• 2001 Norman Plays Golf (also screenplay)
• 2002 Forget Baghdad: Jews and Arabs – The Iraqi Connection (documentary, screenwriter, editor, cast)
• 2003 ZwischenSprach / InterimLanguage (documentary, also screenplay)
• 2005 {{Ill|Snow White (2005 film)|de|3=Snow White (2005)|lt=Snow White}} (feature film, also screenplay)
• 2010 Escher, der Engel und die Fibonacci-Zahlen / Escher, the angels and the Fibonacci numbers (documentary, also screenplay)
• 2014 Iraqi Odyssey (documentary, also production, screenplay, cinematography, editing, cast)

As co-/producer a.o.: documentary film White Terror by Daniel Schweizer (2005), mockumentary Birdseye by Stephen Beckner and Michael C. Huber (2002), feature films Nachbeben / Aftershock by Stina Werenfels (2006), Das Fräulein by Andrea Staka (2006), Opération Libertad by Nicolas Wadimoff (2012), Dawn by Romed Wyder.

• {{IMDb name|id=0759848|name=Samir}}

===Reviews===

Iraqi Odyssey (2014)

• [https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-iraqi-odyssey-1201367364/ Film Review 'Iraqi Odyssey'] by Jay Weissberg, Variety, 12/01/14
• [http://hollywoodreporter.com/review/iraqi-odyssey-film-review-738679 'Iraqi Odyssey': Film Review] by Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter, 10/8/14

Forget Baghdad (2002)

• [https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E01E0D8173DF936A35751C1A9659C8B63 Forget Baghdad (2002) – Film Review; Born in Iraq, Living in Israel, Pondering Issues of Identity], by Stephen Holden, New York Times, 12/5/03
• [http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-12-02/film/film/ Film: Forget Baghdad, Directed by Samir], by Anya Kamenetz, Village Voice, 12/2/03
• [https://nypost.com/2003/12/05/operation-iraqi-boredom/ Operation Iraqi Boredom], by V.A. Musetto, New York Post, 12/5/03
• [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/04/16/AR2005033116588.html Film Explores Identity, But Words Get in the Way], by Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 4/16/04
• [https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/forget-baghdad-jews-and-arabs-the-iraqi-connection-1200546840/ Review: ‘Forget Baghdad — Jews and Arabs: The Iraqi Connection’], by Deborah Young, Variety, 12/23/03

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Samir}}

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people

Category:Swiss film directors

Category:Swiss film producers

Category:Swiss screenwriters

Category:Swiss male screenwriters

Category:Swiss people of Iraqi descent