Blame

Christian Frei

Blame objectively and calmly shows how the pandemic and the deliberate cultivation of fact-free myths and narratives have helped to ensure that Trump is now president again and why far-right movements will be successful everywhere in Europe as well. With the exclusive access to the three scientists - Linfa Wang, Zhengli Shi and Peter Daszak - whose warnings and predictions about pandemic were mostly missed by the wider world, the film explores why we are so susceptible to and attracted by sensationalist narratives. How the new attention economy feeds us the honey of speculation, doubt and finger-pointing. And how geopolitical blame games make it almost impossible to discuss scientific topics on evidence-based grounds. A courageous and political film and a visually stunning cinematic journey.

Switzerland 2025, '122

DIRECTOR: Christian Frei

SCENARIO: Christian Frei, Trine Piil

CAMERA: Filip Zumbrunn, Peter Indergand, Patrick Lindenmaier (Picture Design), Florian Eidenbenz (Sound Design)

MONTAGE: Christian Frei, Magnus Langset

MUSIC: Johann Johannson, Marcel Vaid

PRODUCERS: Christian Frei

FESTIVALS & AWARDS:

Documentary Edge Festival (2025): Best Festival Category - In Truth We Trust Award

IF Signes de Nuit (2025): Main Award

CineAmbiente FF (2025): Audience Award

International Contemporary Science FF (2025): Festival Grand Prix

LabMeCrazy! Science FF (2026): Best Documentary

Munich IDF

Visions du Réel

Solothurn FF

It's All True – IDF

DocPoint

Dokufest

Doc Edge FF

Christian Frei

Swiss director and producer Christian Frei is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and compelling voices in contemporary documentary filmmaking. He received an Academy Award nomination for War Photographer (2001) and won the World Cinema Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival for Space Tourists (2009). Four films he produced premiered in competition at Sundance, where Genesis 2.0 (2018) was awarded the Special Jury Award for Cinematography. From the very beginning of his career, Frei established a reputation as an exacting documentarian with a keen understanding of his subjects. His films are known for their humanistic perspective and universal themes, combining visual precision with a subtle yet persistent curiosity about the human condition. As a producer, Christian Frei released Raving Iran (2016), Saudi Runway (2020) and Girl Gang (2022), directed by Susanne Regina Meures. Frei served as an Associate Lecturer in Reflection Competence at the University of St. Gallen from 2006 to 2023. From 2010 to 2022 he served as President of the Swiss Film Academy.