Transition - 'Xbuk Alo?'

'Transition – Xbuk Alo?' is a short documentary portraying the everyday work of Eritrean barber Amanuel Ghebrekidan in downtown Zurich, Switzerland.
At Manus Barber Shop ('Coiffeur Manu') professionalism encounters fun, young meets old, (Swiss-)German gets mixed up with the Semitic languages Tigrinya and Amharic. 'Habesha' people recently arrived in Europe come upon Eritrean and Ethiopian old-timers settled in Switzerland for decades. And right in the middle of it: 'Coiffeur Manu' and his armada of razors and instruments, taking care of his customers' curls, beards and dreads. Always a winning smile on his face, a joke on his lips and the satisfaction of his customers in mind: "Xbuk alo?...Perfect!"

  • Aron Marty
    Director
  • Andi Bänziger
    Director
  • Andi Bänziger
    Writer
  • Aron Marty
    Camera
  • Aron Marty
    Editing
  • Andi Bänziger
    Producer
  • Yodit Sissay
    Translation
  • Desbele Sium
    Translation
  • Michael Schwarz, Jingle Jungle Tonstudios
    Mix/Mastering/Sounddesign
  • Marco Zellweger
    Illustration / Animation / Graphics
  • Raoul Meile
    Consultant
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Übergang - 'Xbuk Alo?'
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 29 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 5, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    4,400 CHF
  • Country of Origin:
    Switzerland
  • Country of Filming:
    Switzerland
  • Language:
    Amharic, German, Swiss German, Tigrinya
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital (4.6K)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Solothurn Film Festival
    Solothurn
    Switzerland
    January 23, 2020
    World Premiere
    Offical Selection
  • FIPADOC - International Documentary Festival
    Biarritz
    France
    International Premiere
    Competition (Short Films)
  • Ethnografilm
    Paris
    France
  • Boden International Film Festival
    Boden
    Sweden
    April 6, 2021
  • Construir Cine - International Labor Film Festival
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    May 17, 2021
  • Kratovo Ethnological Film Festival
    Kratovo
    Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
    October 1, 2021
    National Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Africa in Motion Film Festival
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    October 15, 2021
    National Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Global Migration Film Festival Indonesia

    Indonesia
    December 15, 2021
    Asian Premiere
  • Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival
    Pärnu
    Estonia
    June 28, 2022
    Estonian Premiere
  • Ethnokino Film Festival
    Bern
    Switzerland
    October 1, 2022
    Official Selection
  • La.Meko - Internationales Kurzfilmfestival Landau
    Landau
    Germany
    November 17, 2022
    German Premiere
Director Biography - Aron Marty, Andi Bänziger

- Creative Director and founding member, docyard GmbH (since 2019)

- Self-employed camera operator and editor for documentaries, TV, music video and advertising (since 2014)

- Bachelor in "Media Arts", ZhdK - Zurich University of the Arts (2014)

- Creative Preparatory Programme, Zurich (2009 – 2011)

- Apprenticeship as Offset Printer (1997 – 2001)

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Our intention is to show the everyday life of (Eritrean and Ethiopian) immigrants in Switzerland from a perspective that doesn't reproduce the common subjects prevailing in the Swiss media discourse (politics, asylum, integration, social welfare etc.).
Instead, we focus on an everyday subject bearing a positive connotation: A visit at the barber shop. This approach provides an insight into the everyday reality of a 'foreign' group in a well-known setting, hereby crystallizing similiarities (e.g. smalltalk at the barber) and distinctions (e.g. hair, language) on a practical basis.