Samir

Samir Jamal al Din (born 29 July 1955), known professionally as Samir, is a Swiss filmmaker, film producer and director.

Samir was born the son of a Swiss mother and an Iraqi father in Baghdad.

Samir's full name is Samir Jamal al Din / Samir Jamal Aldin.

His family moved to Switzerland in 1961, where he went to school.

He attended the School of Design in Zurich (today's ZHdK), completed an apprenticeship as a typographer (1971–73) and subsequently trained as a cameraman with Condor Films.

From the mid-1980s, Samir began to produce his own films.

From 1983, he worked as a freelance director and cinematographer.

From 1984 to 1991 he was a writer and member of Videoladen Zurich (Video Store Zurich).

In the 1990s he worked on behalf of Condor Films

as a director of series like Eurocops

and television films for German TV stations.

His list of works – as a writer, director and/or producer – now includes over 40 short and feature films for cinema and TV.

In 1994, he and documentary filmmaker Werner Schweizer overtook the Dschoint Ventschr film production company.

Forget Baghdad (2002)

As co-/producer a.o.: documentary film White Terror by Daniel Schweizer (2005), mockumentary Birdseye by Stephen Beckner and Michael C. Huber (2002), feature films Nachbeben / Aftershock by Stina Werenfels (2006), Das Fräulein by Andrea Staka (2006), Opération Libertad by Nicolas Wadimoff (2012), Dawn by Romed Wyder.

In 2006 Samir received the Aargau Culture Award (Aargauer Kulturpreis).

Samir has chosen to only use his first name, as explained in this quote:

"...why? "Jamal al Din means 'beauty of religion'.

I do not know how you would feel if you were not very religious, and would always have to say, 'Hello, my name is Beauty of Religion'," says [he] ...''"For me Samir is perfect, as that means 'Storyteller'.""

as director (selection)

Iraqi Odyssey (2014)