Switzerland's nominee Leonie Benesch heads to the Oscars with her standout performance in "Heroine" - Switzerland selects Leonie Benesch as its representative for the Oscars
Switzerland's film "Heldin" (English title: "Late Shift"), directed by Petra Volpe and starring Leonie Benesch, has been selected as Switzerland's official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards (Oscars).
The film, set in a hospital, follows Leonie Benesch as Floria, a nurse working a challenging late shift. The lead actress, who is a healthcare professional in real life, delivers a masterful performance that vividly illustrates the immense challenges faced by healthcare workers worldwide.
"Heldin" has been well received both critically and commercially in German-speaking Europe. It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in February 2025 and has sparked conversations about healthcare workers' conditions.
The Swiss screenwriter and director, Petra Volpe, has been praised by the Federal Office of Culture in Bern for her work on "Heldin". The office described the film as a "thoroughly engrossing drama".
As of now, "Heldin" has not received an actual Oscar nomination; it is in the submission stage, with the official shortlist and nominations to be announced later in December 2025. The Oscar Academy will announce in December if "Heldin" has made it to the international shortlist.
If selected, "Heldin" will compete in the Best International Feature Film category at the annual Oscar ceremony, which will take place on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles.
Leonie Benesch, a 34-year-old actress, plays an overwhelmed healthcare professional in "Heldin". Her performance has been hailed as one of the reasons for Switzerland's submission of the film for the Oscar.
Switzerland is the country that has submitted "Heldin" for the Oscar, hoping to bring international recognition to the film and the issues it raises about healthcare workers' conditions.
The Commission, responsible for proposing directives on various matters, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation. This could potentially be applied to healthcare workers, like Leonie Benesch, who play a crucial role in movies-and-tv entertainment pieces, such as the Swiss film "Heldin".
