Going South

Im Stau

Alan Sahin
Switzerland | 2024 | 16 min
World premiere
Languages : Swiss German, German, French, Italian, English
Subtitles : English, French

April 2023, the Gotthard Road Tunnel. Glued to the asphalt at the entrance to the pride of Swiss engineering, climate activists are causing horrendous traffic jams on the holiday route to Italy. Going South is an unusual ensemble film, a social laboratory which wryly juxtaposes the climate emergency with our mundane everyday interactions.

Making their way to Italy for the holidays, travellers are caught in a monstrous traffic jam caused by climate activists. Glued to the asphalt at the entrance to the Gotthard tunnel, they are causing trouble at this emblematic and much-prized gateway to Italy, a source of real national pride. At the heart of Going South is, of course, the car. An iconic symbol of freedom for some, and an obvious culprit of global warming for others. Under the mischievous gaze of Biel-based director Alan Sahin, the interior of the car becomes a prison that severely tests the nerves of its occupants. An unusual and witty ensemble film, Going South is a unique social laboratory that wryly juxtaposes the climate emergency with our mundane everyday interactions. Funny situations, sexist remarks and other contemporary foibles punctuate the interactions of these static motorists, summing up the tensions in our society, our misunderstandings, and the road we still have to travel. A short but formidably effective film that casually points out the sterile fragmentation of our lives, packed into these cramped, synthetic dwellings while facing the greatest collective challenge of our century.
Bastien Bento

Going South, 2024
Objectif Perfection, 2024
Smoke Break, 2022
Zigipouse, 2021
Stille Nacht auf Knopfdruck, 2020
La Zarzuela, 2020
Freiheit auf Schienen, 2019
It’s a Match, 2018
Piotr, 2018
Sounds of Hong Kong, 2017