The Swallow

27–year–old Mira travels from Switzerland to Iraqi Kurdistan to look for her father she has never met. All that she has is an old letter and a faded picture. She is all excited and full of hope; little does she know that she is embarking on a journey that will change her life forever, a journey to the breath–taking landscapes of Kurdistan but also to the political reality teeming with conflicts, which the film portrays from a completely new perspective. Once in Kurdistan, Mira encounters terrorism, crimes, and street justice but also love. The film depicts two of life's greatest tragedies: not having one's wishes fulfilled and having them fulfilled. Shot in Switzerland and Kurdistan in 2014, the picture is kind of a reverse take on the life of its maker, Mano Khalil, who was born and later imprisoned in Syria and then found asylum in Switzerland. (IFF Bratislava)