Graduating Macromedia in 2018 from Film Directing (B.A.), Andre Diwisch has since received multiple awards for his work, ‘Einmal Flüchtling und Zurück’, alternatively titled in English, ‘Refugee by Mistake’. He directed the short film as his graduation project- which premiered at City Kinos München in January of this year and is expected to hit more theaters in the coming months.
‘Refugee by Mistake’ follows the story of a trio of villagers who have taken it upon themselves to ‘protect’ the boarder from refugees. However, in the midst of their fruitless efforts, they end up on a refugee route without any money or identification- oh how the tables have turned. While the film has an ironic and comedic air, the protagonist’s closed-minded thinking puts them on the path- both physically and metaphorically- of self-discovery. Andre Diwisch’s political commentary on the rise of nationalism in times of refugee crises is the central theme of the film and beautifully portrayed in the 30 minute short through humor. The delivery poses questions of morality, humanity, and political leanings.
Refugee by Mistake: A growing number of awards
Diwisch’s hard work has paid off. The film has played at festivals around the globe, including in France at the Festival International du Film d’Aubagne, in Romania at Bucharest Shortcut Cinefest, and among multiple 2019 festivals in India. It was also nominated for the Bets- British European Talent Screening in 2018, and a selected finalist at the Russian Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival and a semi-finalist at the Israeli NNF.
Most recently, however, ‘Refugee by Mistake’ won ‘Best Film ([by a] Student)’ at the Bangalore Short Film Festival 2019. Among the submitted works, Diwisch was the only German filmmaker to receive an award. He stood among artists from France, Italy, Chile, South Korea, India and more. It is quite the achievement and we are proud to have such a successful alumni coming from Macromedia! Congrats and best of luck in the future!
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(IMH, translated by Rosie Hall)