4K-video (color, sound), 22:24 min

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Les Mots de Sahil (Sahil's Words) is a documentary that follows the journey of Sahil, an eighteen-year-old Afghan refugee living in a refugee shelter in Switzerland. As he learns French, he seeks to integrate and rebuild his life in an environment shaped by waiting and uncertainty. Over the course of his learning process, Sahil meets Jean-Paul, a retired man who volunteers to teach him the language. Through regular exchanges, their relationship gradually develops into a bond between two generations and two distinct life paths. At the same time, Sahil begins teaching French to other young Afghan refugees in the shelter. In turn, he passes on what he has learned, creating an informal learning space grounded in mutual support and solidarity. The film observes these dynamics through everyday gestures, moments of silence, and a careful attention to the natural environment. Visual motifs related to water—rivers, shores, reflections—run throughout the film, echoing Sahil’s name, which means “the shore,” and evoking the search for a place of belonging after a migratory journey. Through this portrait, Sahil's Words explores themes of migration, transmission, and reconstruction, highlighting subtle forms of resilience and solidarity.

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Featuring: Sahil Ahmad Ahmadzai, Jean-Paul Jacquod, Muhammad Shinwari, Saifullah Nasiri, Sediqullah Kotwal, Jan Muhammad Mukhlis