Palestinian Filmmaker Wins IDFA Award for Best Director; Armenian documentary “1489” wins award for best film

Documentaries about the impact of war won two of the top prizes. The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam presented the prizes on Thursday evening.

1489The film, directed by Armenian filmmaker Shoghakat Vardanyan, was named best film in the international competition. The film focuses on the disappearance of the director’s 21-year-old brother, Soghomon Vardanyan, in the early days of renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020 over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area Armenians refer to as missing. . as Artsakh.

The prize is endowed with a cash prize of €15,000. The judges of the International Competition were Emilie Bujès, Francesco Giai Via, Tabitha Jackson, Ada Solomon and Xiaoshuai Wang.

The jury has called 1489“A film that acts like a penetrating light that makes visible the vast hidden inner landscape of grief and creates a palpable presence from the unbearable absence.” Film as a tool for survival – to allow us all to see the things we’d rather not see. And finally an unforgettable example of film as an act of love.”

The Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed Jabaly won the award for best director in the international competition for his film Life is beautifulan account of how he became stranded in Norway during the filming of his previous film ambulance. During his stay in the Scandinavian country in 2014, the border with Gaza was closed, preventing his return. But when Jabaly applied for a long-stay visa in Norway, there was a problem. Palestine was not listed as a country on the form he had to fill out via computer.

“I was a bit shocked when I realized I was stateless,” Jabaly told Deadline in Amsterdam earlier this week. “I come to Norway, apply for a new visa and then say: Hey, I can’t choose Palestine [from the drop-down menu]. And what does that mean for me?”

The directing award was awarded 5,000 euros.

Jury described Life is beautiful as: “A timely cinematic expression of the universal need to be recognized in our full humanity.” A compelling indictment of the bureaucratic and political structures that deny it. A directing tone that makes it almost impossible to find hope and humor in the midst of unimaginable pain. An urgent call for freedom, freedom of movement, freedom of opportunity and the freedom to pursue our dreams.” [Scroll for full list of IDFA Awards winners].

The IDFA Award for Best Track (winner of €2,500) in the international competition went to Anand Patwardhan for The world is family.

“A vivid representation of 100 years of history in less than 100 minutes of film,” the jurors wrote. The world is family. “An intimate family portrait whose spicy motifs are lovingly painted with humor and deep humanity.” A comfort of proportions whose flowing form wonderfully reflects the flow of life, death and history.”

The IDFA award for the best camera in the international competition (along with prize money of €2,500) was won Flashing lightsDirected by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan.

The jury called the film: “A beautiful relationship between a lively community and the audience, created by the curious and patient gaze of the camera.” A successful portrait of an existence without electricity, a life without light, to a moment of transformation. With an unobtrusive but very effective feeling of really being there.

The separate Envision competition, a section dedicated to daring cinematic approaches to documentaries, won the prize for best film Canuto’s transformationDirected by Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho.

The prize comes with a cash prize of €15,000. Judges for the Envision competition included Annouchka de Andrade, Cao Guimarães, Kirsten Johnson and Kivu Ruhorahoza. (Basma al-Sharif, a Palestinian director and artist, withdrew from the Envision jury midway through the festival, expressing dissatisfaction with IDFA’s handling of a pro-Palestinian protest that interrupted the opening ceremony.)

That’s what the Envision jury said Canuto’s transformation“With a decade-long commitment to the collaborative filmmaking process, a sense of humor and a desire to move between worlds.” This film embodies the many meanings of transformation.

In addition, Ariel Kuaray Ortega and Ernesto de Carvalho won the award for outstanding artistic achievement and prize money of 2,500 euros for their film.

Kumjana Novakova received the award for best director (and prize money of 5,000 euros) in the Envision competition for her documentary Silence of reason.

Jurors praised Novakova for her “rigorous presentation of forensic evidence and the incredible courage of the women whose testimony meant that rape would be recognized internationally as a war crime.” Kumjana Novakova made these crimes unforgettable on film.

In other categories, At this moment directed by Rita Pauls and Federico Luis Tachella won the IDFA Award for Best Short Documentary. The prize is endowed with a cash prize of €5,000.

The jury said: “For his simplicity, spontaneity and transparency in dealing with people, things and small details and for the depth of the questions asked, which are deep despite their apparent simplicity, and especially for his smooth and intense cinematography .” and text editing, the jury awards the IDFA award for the best short documentary At this moment by the directors Rita Pauls and Federico Luis Tachella.”

Special mention received my father Directed by Pegah Ahangarani.

“For this filmmaker’s ability to transform archival photographs and video footage into a film that together forms an intimate visual history and a sensitive, realistic and influential era – with the negative and positive effects it has in both the public and private have, bring History – restored, praise the jury gives a special mention my father by Pegah Ahangarani,” the jury wrote.

The judges of the IDFA short documentary film competition were Nadim Jarjoura and Brigid O’Shea.

The IDFA Award for Best Youth Documentary (13+) went to Mariusz Rusiński sister of mine. The prize is endowed with a cash prize of €2,500.

The IDFA Award for Best Youth Documentary (9-12) went to Sebastian Mulder Happy New Year. Cash price: €2,500.

Special mention received Boys by Sylvain Cruiziat.

The jury members of the IDFA Youth Documentary Film Competition were Maria Vittoria Pellecchia, Ileana Stanculescu and Pawel Ziemilski.

Full list of IDFA 2023 winners: