Mr. Nobody Against Putin triumphs at ZagrebDox
- My Dad’s Lessons, The Wind Has No Tail and Sudan, Remember Us were also among the awardees at the 21st edition of the Croatian gathering
The 21st edition of ZagrebDox (30 Mar-6 Apr) came to a close with its awards ceremony on Saturday 5 April, held at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema, which traditionally serves as the primary location of the festival. The largest documentary gathering in the Croatian capital showcased 107 documentaries in various formats across 16 categories. Twenty films were in the running for the Big Stamp Award in the international competition, while 18 vied for it in the regional one.
The international jury, consisting of filmmakers Silje Evensmo Jacobsen and Igor Mirković, aided by Beldocs festival director Mara Prohaska Marković, awarded David Borenstein’s and Pavel Talankin’s Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+see also:
film review
film profile] with the Big Stamp. It was praised as “a testimony for present and future generations, showing how we can understand the gradual embedding of war in our everyday lives and the fear it sows, especially among children. When the primary-school curriculum becomes a mechanism of indoctrination, the integrity of the individual and incredible courage inspire us with their essence and strike out against the cruelty of propaganda,” the jury's explanation reads. Elizabeth Lo’s Mistress Dispeller snagged the Special Mention in the same category.
In the regional competition, the Big Stamp went to Dalija Dozet’s My Dad’s Lessons [+see also:
film review
film profile]. “This is a film about documentation and the act of filming. About the camera as a tool and a means of communication […]. It is also a film about family, interpersonal relationships and mourning. We witness the beautiful meeting of a father and daughter through numerous poetic images. This is an innovative and artistically extraordinary film,” goes the explanation by the jury, consisting of Pula Film Festival director Tanja Miličić, producer Viki Réka Kiss and filmmaker Vladimir Loginov. Maja Novaković’s At the Door of the House, Who Will Come Knocking [+see also:
film review
interview: Maja Novaković
film profile] was awarded a Special Mention.
The Small Stamp for Best Short Documentary went to Arshia Shakiba for Who Loves the Sun, while The Other Side of the Mountain by He Yumeng got the Special Mention. The same jury, consisting of Lucija Brkić, Mariusz Rusiński and Maja Malus Azhdari, also decided on the winners among the films by young filmmakers under the age of 35. Wind Has No Tail by Ivan Vlasov and Nikita Stashkevich won the Small Stamp, while Eyes of Gaza by Mahmoud Atassi got a Special Mention.
The Movies That Matter Award went to Sudan, Remember Us [+see also:
interview: Hind Meddeb
film profile] by Hind Meddeb, while Trans Memoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Victoria Verseau
film profile] by Victoria Verseau scooped a Special Mention. Night of the Coyotes by Clara Trischler won the FIPRESCI Prize. The Audience Awards went to Maja Prettner’s Woman of God [+see also:
film review
film profile] in the regional competition and to Lidija Zelović’s Home Game [+see also:
film review
interview: Lidija Zelovic
film profile] in the international competition. Lastly, legendary Canadian-Swiss filmmaker Peter Mettler was presented with the Honorary Big Stamp.
Here is the full list of award winners:
International Competition
Big Stamp
Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+see also:
film review
film profile] – David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin (Denmark/Czech Republic)
Special Mention
Mistress Dispeller – Elizabeth Lo (China/USA)
Regional Competition
Big Stamp
My Dad’s Lessons [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Dalija Dozet (Croatia)
Special Mention
At the Door of the House, Who Will Come Knocking [+see also:
film review
interview: Maja Novaković
film profile] – Maja Novaković (Serbia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Shorts Competition
Small Stamp
Who Loves the Sun – Arisha Shakiba (Canada)
Special Mention
The Other Side of the Mountain – He Yumeng (USA/China)
Young Jury Awards
Small Stamp
Wind Has No Tail – Ivan Vlasov, Nikita Stashkevich (Russia)
Special Mention
Eyes of Gaza – Mahmoud Atassi (Qatar)
Movies That Matter
Movies That Matter Award
Sudan, Remember Us [+see also:
interview: Hind Meddeb
film profile] – Hind Meddeb (France/Tunisia/Qatar)
Special Mention
Trans Memoria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Victoria Verseau
film profile] – Victoria Verseau (Sweden/France)
FIPRESCI Award
Night of the Coyotes – Clara Trischler (Germany/Austria)
Teen Dox
Teen Dox Award
Lessons of Happiness – Oleksii Yeroshenko (Ukraine)
Special Mention
Where the Kids Have No Name – Jamillah van der Hulst (Netherlands/Bangladesh)
Audience Awards
Aviteh Audience Award – International Competition
Home Game [+see also:
film review
interview: Lidija Zelovic
film profile] – Lidija Zelović (Netherlands)
Croatian Radio-Television Audience Award – Regional Competition
Woman of God [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Iza Strehar (Slovenia)
Honorary Big Stamp
Peter Mettler
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