Petra Volpe‘s “Late Shift” – which plays at this year’s Special Gala in Berlin – plunges into the high-pressure world of an understaffed Swiss hospital, unfolding close to real-time through the eyes of a dedicated nurse.
Produced by Zodiac Pictures, Swiss Radio and Television SRF, with world sales handled by TrustNordisk, the film marks a departure from Petra Volpe’s acclaimed suffrage comedy “The Divine Order,” Switzerland’s submission for best international film. Instead, the director’s latest delivers a taut, empathetic drama that captures the stressful realities nurses face.
Volpe immersed herself in research before making the film, accompanying nurses on hospital shifts to understand their daily struggles. The idea for “Late Shift” took root after reading German nurse Madeline Calvelage’s nonfiction book “Our Profession Is Not the Problem – It’s the Circumstances.”
“Just reading it gave me heart palpitations, and it sparked my initial inspiration to tell the story of one woman, one shift,” Volpe tells Variety. “Later, when I accompanied nurses in hospitals, I witnessed firsthand the immense mental and physical demands of their high-performance job. What moved me most was how, even under extreme pressure, they still managed to show deep empathy and warmth toward their patients.”
Cinematographer Judith Kaufmann (“Corsage,” “The Teachers’ Lounge”) and Volpe keep the camera tight on Floria, played by rising German star Leonie Benesch (“The Teachers’ Lounge,” “September 5”).
“Every scene in the screenplay is written strictly from Floria’s perspective and was very detailed in describing every move,” Volpe explains. “My DP, Judith Kaufmann, and I decided not to cover the scenes in a classical way but to consistently stay with Floria, who is almost always in action. Most scenes involve numerous nursing tasks while Floria simultaneously communicates with a patient or a relative. Synchronizing dialogue with action and finding the right rhythm for each scene was a significant challenge.”
To ensure authenticity, a nurse consultant was present on set, coaching Benesch and assisting all departments. Benesch herself prepared by completing an internship at Liestal Cantonal Hospital. “I was looking for an actress who could embody both pragmatism and toughness—someone who remains unsentimental yet never loses her inner warmth or emotional depth,” said Volpe. “Leonie brought all of that to the role from the very first casting.”
A showcase for any actor, the film recalls Gustav Möller’s “The Guilty,” the kind of high-concept drama that could easily attract the attention of a Hollywood production company eyeing a remake.
The film tracks one night as Floria juggles an overwhelming patient load, a missing colleague, and the impossibility of being needed both here and there. All while needing to take a breather from time to time.
“The moments of pause were built into the script, but it was not until we started editing and working with the score that we found the ultimate balance between the escalating, breathless action and calmer, more emotional moments,” Volpe explains. “It was also a particular challenge to tell the audience enough about the patients to make their stories emotionally touching while also having to move on with Floria. In a way, it illustrates her predicament in a visceral way.”
Producer Reto Schaerli, developed the project with longtime collaborator Lukas Hobi at Zodiac Pictures, “We’ve been working successfully with Petra for over a decade, both as a writer and a director. The challenges surrounding care work have long been a shared concern, and when Petra presented her take on the subject, we were immediately on board.” he says.
Though set in a Swiss hospital, these problems exist throughout the global care system. “‘Late Shift’ is a love letter to nurses and the work of caregiving, and I hope that nurses feel seen, celebrated, and appreciated through our film,” Volpe said. “The nursing shortage is a global health crisis, and our film highlights what these abstract statistics mean in real, human terms. There is not enough conversation or awareness around this issue in politics or among the general public. Yet, everyone is a potential patient, which makes it in all of our best interests to stand up for nurses and support them in their fight for better working conditions.”
Offering a glimpse of a world too little seen in cinema, “Late Shift” taps into global conversations around nursing shortages and healthcare pressures.
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