“The docu’s subjects get under the skin, and their plight represents one of the major challenges to immigration policy not just in Switzerland, but in the First World as a whole.”
–Jay Weissberg, Variety
Special Flight is a dramatic account of the plight of undocumented foreigners at the Frambois detention center in Geneva, Switzerland, and of the wardens who struggle to reconcile humane values with the harsh realities of a strict deportation system. The 25 Frambois inmates featured are among the thousands of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants imprisoned without charge or trial and facing deportation to their native countries, where they fear repression or even death. The film, made in Switzerland, is a heart-wrenching exposé of the contradictions between the country’s compassionate social policies and the intractability of its immigration laws.
Special Flight premieres July 1, 2013 at 10 PM on PBS stations. (Check your local listings). The film will be available for streaming on the POV website starting July 2, 2013 through August 1, 2013.
After the national broadcast premiere, visit the Special Flight site to watch excerpts from The World Is Like That, filmmaker Fernand Melgar’s short documentary which follows up with some of the detainees in Special Flight, and learn more about the plight of asylum seekers by exploring an interactive map tracking the origins and destinations of asylum seekers across the world. You will also be able to join the conversation about the film with other POV viewers, get background information on detention centers and Switzerland’s asylum policy, download a discussion guide, and view a lesson plan for educators.
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