The Silver Eye Award for the best feature documentary of the East Silver Market at the East Doc Platform 2023 was given March 28 to Alisa Kovalenko We Will Not Fade Away. In the film, five bold Ukrainian teenagers are given a chance to discover the taste of freedom, during a therapeutic expedition to the Himalayas, until the war ignites again and jeopardizes their dreams.
The film is produced by Stephane Siohan (East Roads Films) and co-produced by HAKA Films (Poland). The Special Mention went to KIX (dir. Dávid Mikulán & Bálint Révész, prod. Victor Ede, Viki Réka Kiss & András Pires Muhi).
The Silver Eye Award is valued at €2500 and includes the year-long festival service of the East Silver Caravan worth of additional €3500. East Silver Caravan is a project supporting the festival distribution of Central and Eastern European documentary films.
The International Jury explained the choice of winner We Will Not Fade Away: “We would like to give the Silver Eye Award to a film which mesmerizingly captivates the troubling times we live in. With a tender and calm observation the filmmaker follows her protagonists, a group of Ukrainian teenagers, making us partakers of their journey whilst creating a masterpiece in terms of cinematography. “
The Special Mention for KIX was accompanied by the following jury statement: “We would like to give the Special Mention to a film which navigates through a ten year long period of troubles and joys, in other words – ten years of growing up. It is an achievement both in terms of filmmaking (camerawork, editing, pacing) and in terms of portraying human relationships.”
International Jury:
Nele Stoß – DOK.fest München
Stefanos Velmachos Bonos – Beyond Borders
Karol Piekarczyk – Millennium Docs Against Gravity
Nominated films:
A Year of Endless Days (orig. Godina prođe, dan nikako, dir. Renata Lučić, HR, 2022, 86′)
Blix Not Bombs (dir. Greta Stocklassa, 2023, Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, 85′)
Cabin Pressure (orig. KABINNYOMÁS, dir. Eszter Nagy, Sara Cziradir, HU, 2022, 80′) – in postproduction
Faces of Agata (orig. Twarze Agaty, dir. Malgorzata Kozera-Topińska, 2023, Poland, United Kingdom, 72′)
Fight (dir. Lilit Movsisyan, 2023, Armenia, France, 71′)
KIX (orig. ‘Sanyiék’, dir. Bálint Révész, Dávid Mikulán, 2023, Hungary, France, Croatia, 100′)
Our Daily Bread (orig. Pâinea noastră cea de toate zilele, dir. Serban Georgescu, 2023, Romania, 70′)
Well of Dreams (dir. Paweł Tarasiewicz, 2023, Poland, 73′)
We Will Not Fade Away (orig. Ми не згаснемо, dir. Alisa Kovalenko, 2023, Ukraine, France, Poland, USA, 99′)
Who Am I Smiling For? (orig. Kellele ma naeratan, dir. Eeva Mägi, 2022, Estonia, 60′)
