It was during the now traditional gala ceremony, this Saturday evening, January 22, that the FIPADOC juries unveiled the winners of the 4th edition of the International Documentary Festival in Biarritz. Fourteen prizes were awarded this year.
Grand Prize – International Documentary
The Grand Prize – International Documentary, which rewards an international film unseen in France, was awarded to “The Balcony Movie” by Polish Paweł Łoziński. He filmed passers-by from his window.
“We ultimately chose a film that attests to the power of documentary cinema, showing us how the radical choice of a point of view can transform the perception of our daily experience., explain the jurors. By inviting passers-by to enter his field, the filmmaker confirms the paradox that to achieve intimacy one must stay at the right distance. This film leads us to see how we negotiate with each other in the face of life’s big questions, in a way that is both serious and playful”
Grand Prize – National Documentary
The Grand Prix – National Documentary rewards a French film unseen in France. It was awarded this year to “Marie-José is waiting for you at 4 p.m.” by Camille Ponsin. The film will be released in France in October 2022.
The jury explains its choice as follows: “Because it overwhelms us by modestly highlighting a dramatic reality on the other side of the world, women and men threatened with genocide with the complicity of our political systems. A world of which this film also reminds us, thanks to unpublished archives that he was once peaceful and beautiful. Because he participates in raising awareness, because there should be more of Marie-José, that her precious knowledge be transmitted as much as her elegance respectful of humanity. Because we would like her to always be there at 4 p.m., until Darfur is better… We awarded the prize to Camille Ponsin’s sensitive and humorous gaze.”
Grand Prize – Musical Documentary
The Grand Prize – Musical Documentary rewards a film whose music is one of the main characters. It was awarded to “Paraiso” by Sérgio Tréfaut (Portugal-France).
“Delicate and modest film on an original and poetic subject, notes the jury. Celebration of a musical people, Brazil, where whatever the social or cultural backgrounds, music, a shared heritage, becomes a bulwark against loneliness. Without fear of being judged, everyone gets up and sings, communicates with the others around a song, which becomes a way of bringing the past to life. We come out happy, moved by this passion and this simple tenderness. »
Impact Grand Prize
The Grand Prize – Impact and Impact-CNC-Images of Culture rewards a film that is a source of inspiration in terms of human rights, environmental protection and social justice. It rewards this year “Revolution of Our Times” by Kiwi Chow (Hong Kong).
“We come out of it upset”, affirms the jury which explains that “this film succeeds in the tour de force, thanks to the collection and use of a proliferation of images, of ordering a limpid and gripping flowing narrative. From the first sequences, he rushes us, almost breathless, into the heart of the demonstrations for the fight for freedoms in Hong Kong in 2019 and makes us relive their intensity, nobility and fury. This film illuminates with all its force the democratic issue of Hong Kong and holds up a disturbing mirror to us where our weaknesses vis-à-vis China appear. It’s a film of our time, about the omnipotence of states and about the courage of a whole generation of young people who are left almost orphans to defend their freedoms, which are also ours. »
Smart Award – INA
The Smart Prize rewards the best digital documentary experience for its originality and the relevance between its subject and the technologies used. He rewards “Kusunda” by Felix Gaedtke & Gayatri Parameswaran (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, United States of America, Nepal, Taiwan), a virtual reality experience.
New Writings Award
The New Writings prize rewards a linear or interactive work, offering a demanding narration and an innovative writing, produced using digital tools and technologies, all media combined. It is awarded to “Seven Grams” by Karim Ben Khelifa (France, United Kingdom, USA). This digital experience is available on smartphones. All information is available here.
Short film award
The Short Film Prize rewards the best short film. He returns this year to “Angle Mort” by Lotfi Achour (Tunisia, France)
FIPADOC Young Creation Prize
The FIPADOC Young Creation Prize, which rewards a school film, was awarded to “Que no me roben los sueños” by Zoé Brichau (Belgium).
The jury explains that the young director seduced them “by its economy of means, its proximity to its characters and their most intense destinies, its mastery of the story and its social and political significance, the accuracy of its frames and the place of its camera. »
Tenk Award
The Tënk Prize rewards an international documentary film from the Young Creation selection. It is delivered by Tënk, an SVOD platform dedicated to documentaries. The award-winning film is “On your ashes” by Joachim Michaux (France, Lebanon).
“How do we grow up in war and violence, how do we each confront it in our own way? We admire the connections that the film manages to build between intimacy, past, present, great history, while building a sustained and moving narrative., explains the jury.
Audience Award
The Audience Award, which rewards a film from the Panorama selection, is awarded to “Paris Opera, a (very) special season” by Priscilla Pizzato (France) which was broadcast in December 2021 on France 5. It is available on www.france.tv
Mitrani Prize
The Mitrani Prize rewards the best first film in the international documentary, national documentary, musical documentary, Impact and Panorama of Francophone creation selections. It is assigned to “En mis Zapatos” by Pedro Morato (Belgium).
The jury, made up of representatives of collective management organizations and France Télévisions, explains: “We chose a film that is both moving and important. A film which, with great delicacy, humor and sensitivity, highlights a story that is both very intimate and universal: that of a son who declares his love to his mother, that of an immense artist who puts his talent in the service of a cause that affects us all: old age and the illness of our elders. For these scenes of great strength, this story that is both modest and lucid, these directing choices assumed from beginning to end, this music that carries us away as much as it carries the characters of this film, we have awarded him this price. »
CINE+ Award
The CINÉ+ Prize rewards a feature film in the international documentary, national documentary, musical documentary and Impact selections. It is awarded to “Babi Yar. Context” by Sergei Loznitsa (Netherlands, Ukraine). This film was shown in Biarritz with subtitles in Basque, a first this year at Fipadoc.
“From sequence to sequence, this film brings you closer to barbarism made man, a striking film that permeates you to the depths of your being, an essential memorial film”, says the jury
Women in Media Award
Assigned to “Sex education option” by Marie-Pierre Jaury, the PFDM Prize rewards the best French director in the international documentary, national documentary, musical documentary, Impact and Panorama of Francophone creation selections.
Broadcast in December 2021 on France 5, the award-winning film is available on www.france.tv
The Young Europeans Prize
He rewards “A Parked Life” by Peter Triest (Belgium, Netherlands) in the History of Europe selection.
“Our role, as a young European jury, was to choose a film that truly brings us all together; and what better connection than the roads where everyone travels, these roads which transport stories and goods, but which dehumanize them at the same time? Through the loneliness of sights and sounds, we discovered not only Petar’s journey, but also a profound portrait of Europe in which people and goods travel as never before, and yet so distant from each other. .