The Swiss embassy in Beijing wanted to show an award-winning drama by a Ukrainian gymnast. The Chinese authorities intervened at the last minute.
Elie Grappe won the Swiss Film Prize with “Olga”, but China banned a screening of his debut.
The film “Olga” has suddenly acquired oppressive topicality. It tells the story of a young Ukrainian gymnast who trains in Magglingen while the Euromaidan coup is underway in Kyiv in 2013. On her cell phone, she follows how the law enforcement officers are brutally cracking down on the protests. The teenager was torn between his sporting goals and what was happening at home, wrote the “NZZ am Sonntag” in its review. The film reminds us that the current crisis began with peaceful protests and a commitment to European-Western values.
