The extensive healthcare system and the high "Swiss" quality of long-term care are largely based on the commitment and dedication of numerous migrant workers. The nursing professionals do far more than just provide medical care, they accompany many people in the last phase of their lives. Three caregivers from the Health Center Riesbach in Zürich demonstrate the intensive care of residents up to and beyond death. 87% of the caregivers working in this nursery home have a migration background. After work the three protagonists reflect on their own experiences with death and explore the question of home and belonging.

Name: Oana Popa
Born — Location: Romania- Switzerland

When I was born, the dream of Western Europe was written on my forehead. My home country(?) was grappling with the consequences of an economic downturn, and soon my Mama would hold the Swiss flag in her hand for us to become Westerners. Now, here I am—Swiss-made by a family of Romanian workers, whose narratives I weave into my artistic practice. Topics regarding family constellations, identity, and belonging are central to my work. I transmute lived experiences into videos, performances, literary texts, and installations.

After my grandmother's death in 2022, I began to explore death as more than just an end—seeing it instead as a deeply personal yet universally shared experience. My research shifted toward understanding the connections between migration, customs, rituals, and traditions surrounding death. This exploration feels like an attempt to reconcile personal loss while examining how different cultural contexts shape the ways we grieve, remember, and honor those we've lost.