Michael Koch’s A Piece of Sky (Drii Winter) has been selected by Switzerland to represent the country in the International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards. The film which tells a fictional story with a documentary approach, celebrated its world premiere in the International Competition at Berlin International Film Festival and was honored with a Special Mention by the International Jury.

A Piece of Sky will celebrate its Swiss premiere in the Panorama Suisse section at the Locarno Film Festival and will be released in Swiss cinemas on September 1.

The film tells an exceptional love story set against an imposing mountain backdrop: In a remote mountain village in the Swiss Alps, the budding love between Anna and Marco is put to the test. Anna grew up in the village, while Marco is an outsider who has been hired as a farmhand to work the rugged land. When Marco suddenly starts losing control over his impulses, age-old tensions in the community erupt again. Against all odds, Anna fights for Marco and their love.

Watch the trailer for A Piece of Sky (Drii Winter).

Director Koch shot A Piece of Sky with amateur actors from the region. He found his protagonist, Michèle Brand starring as Anna, through an advertisement in a local newspaper – her first time in front of the camera. Simon Wisler, in the role of Marco, was cast at a national wrestling festival and is in fact a mountain farmer. He took a year to consider accepting the role.