Experiencing Interruptions?

« J'étais un enfant qu'on ne voyait pas »

In Switzerland, tens of thousands of children, adolescents and adults, were placed in foster care or admitted to closed institutions, despite their innocence. The exploitation and violence, both physical and emotional, experienced by foster children, left a severe impact on many which accompanied them for life. The documentary «I was an Invisible Child» reports on a repressed chapter in Swiss social history from the perspective of those affected. Four people speak about their experiences before, during and after the placement.

  • Daniela Wildi
    Director
  • Daniela Wildi
    Producer
  • Nevin George
    Producer
  • Simone H.
    Key Cast
  • Roger Bresch
    Key Cast
  • Wilhelm Sauter
    Key Cast
  • Andreas Jost
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    « J'étais un enfant qu'on ne voyait pas »
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 21, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    1,600 CHF
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    Switzerland
  • Language:
    French, Swiss German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 44. Schweizer Jugendfilmtage 2020
    Zurich, Switzerland
    Switzerland
    March 27, 2020
    Swiss Premiere
    1st Price, Category C
  • Kantonsschule Wohlen AG
    Kantonsschule Wohlen AG
    Switzerland
    November 21, 2019
    Canton of Aargau Premiere
    1st Price, Rotary 2020 (Kantonsschule Wohlen AG)
  • 17. Schweizer Jungfilmfestival - UPCOMING FILM MAKERS 2020
    Lucerne
    Switzerland
    September 19, 2020
    Luzerner Nachwuchspreis - Prix Jeunesse
  • Regard Bleu 2020
    Zurich
    Switzerland
    October 17, 2020
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Daniela Wildi

The 19 year-old Daniela Wildi was born in Switzerland with Russian roots.

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Director Statement

Daniela Wildi presents a formally classical documentary work on the barbaric practice, usual in Switzerland until the Sixties, to reallocate unwished children for work in other families under conditions of slavery. Thanks to a very precious work of casting, the rigorous filmic proposal highlights the direct witnesses of a phenomenon that still today marks no less than 50.000 persons, who often lack acknowledgement or compensation. Through well-chosen frames, a perfect balance of empathy and distance, and an intriguing editing that dares to overcome the level of the individual in order to create a choral discourse, «J’étais un enfant qu’on ne voyait pas» not only informs on the past and the present of this phenomenon, but moreover works performatively as a form of relief for the interviewed persons. A “therapeutic” story of sorrow, which Switzerland does not seem to be disposed to hear and accept yet.