Feature Film · 2024 · Switzerland / USA
A seamstress becomes entangled in her own threads after stealing a suitcase full of money during a botched drug deal. In a spiraling cat-and-mouse game, her choices have drastic consequences.
Synopsis
Barbara Duggen, the mobile seamstress, fights for the survival of her fabric store. After a botched appointment, she has to get a button for a customer and stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. At the sight of the bikers lying on the ground, the weapons, and the suitcase, she is torn. She has three options: commit the perfect crime, call the police, or drive away.
Streaming on
Trailer
Credits
Director
- Freddy Macdonald
Cinematographer
- Sebastian Klinger
Production Designer
- Viviane Rapp
Composer
- Jacob Tardien
Writers
- Freddy Macdonald
- Fred Macdonald
Cast
- Eve Connolly
- Calum Worthy
- John Lynch
- K Callan
- Ron Cook
- Thomas Douglas
- Caroline Goodall
- Werner Biermeier
- Veronika Herren-Wenger
Producers
- Fred Macdonald
- Barry Navidi
- Sebastian Klinger
- Diamantis Zavitsanos
- Socratis Zavitsanos
- Alexander Stratigenas
- Timothy Ross
Companies
- ORISONO
- Sew Torn LLC
- Barry Navidi Productions
Distribution
- Netflix
- The Playmaker Munich
- Vertigo Releasing
Festivals & Awards
Stills
About the production
Freddy's long-time collaborator and cinematographer Sebastian Klinger had worked with ORISONO on various occasions—most notably on three short films, among them PAXMAL—and established the contact. ORISONO became an indispensable co-production partner with crucial knowledge about filming conditions in Switzerland: 23 shooting days in the Tamina Valley in the Swiss Alps, which included challenges such as weather, road construction, and pyrotechnics. The team consisted of about 25 crew members from Switzerland and 9 actors. Many of them had traveled from abroad, underlining the international appeal of the production. Challenges like visa processing for US, British, or Canadian citizens were seamlessly handled by Timothy Ross and his production management team. After the shoot, Alexander Stratigenas and his sound team utilized the newly established Dolby Atmos mixing studio for SEW TORN, creating an audible spatial depth together with composer Jacob Tardien.
Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
Distribution
SEW TORN celebrated its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival (South By Southwest) in March 2024, with half of the Swiss team traveling to Austin, Texas, for an unforgettable spectacle. Coverage by renowned media such as The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Variety, and Mashable significantly contributed to Freddy's career as a filmmaker. Subsequently, the film was screened on the Piazza Grande at the Locarno Film Festival to 6,300 spectators and embarked on an impressive festival tour worldwide. After distribution by world sales agent The Playmaker Munich and British-American distributor Vertigo Releasing, SEW TORN was released in cinemas in many countries and was acquired by Netflix for streaming distribution in December 2025.
