“Golden Swan” will have its world premiere at the 28th Thessaloniki International Airport International Competition. The documentary festival trailer has been released for the first time.
The film, directed by Annette Ostro, recalls the year 1995, when her brother, Hans Christian Ostro, traveled to India in search of meaning and artistic growth. A few months later, he was kidnapped in Kashmir and taken hostage by the militant group Al-Faran.
During his five weeks in captivity, he secretly wrote poems and letters to his sister. These documents, discovered in his body after his execution, became the basis for an intimate reconstruction of his final months.
Director Annette Ostro said in a statement: “I was 25 years old when my only brother was brutally murdered. That trauma changed my life forever. I don’t know if I would have become a director if it hadn’t happened. My desire to tell my brother’s story has continued throughout my career.”
“British journalists Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clarke contacted me while I was researching their book The Meadows – Kashmir 1995. By sharing with them the information and memories surrounding what happened to my brother, I realized the need and urgency of telling his story now.
“As a sister and a filmmaker, I approach this story personally, placing it within the broader context of global terrorism. In a polarized world defined by fear, Hans Christian’s choice to see the humanity in his enemies rather than succumb to hatred feels urgently relevant.”
“Through this film, I want to share his legacy, which I believe can be an inspiration to many.”
Producers are Beate Hofseth and Siri Natvik of Norway’s Fri Film. Co-producers are Helle Faber of Denmark’s Made in Copenhagen, Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen of Netherlands’ 100% Film, and Erika Malmgren of Sweden’s Cinenic Film.
