The prizes of the 40th DOK.fest Munich were handed out May 17 with Eliza Petkova’s Silent Observers winning the VIKTORIA DOK.international Main Competition (10,000 euros). In the film, we observe the inhabitants of a remote Bulgarian mountain village from the perspective of six animals. (Luciana Kaplan’s The Invisible Contract received a Special Mention.)
The Jury statement (in part) reads: “Our winning film reckons with the ethics and aesthetics of what it is to look at documentary protagonists, whether they are human or other kinds of beings. With a wry and clever approach, it brings together folk stories, superstition, and a real story of a remote, ageing village in decline, questioning what we know to be real, and what is imaginary narrative. In a thrilling creative approach, we look at animals looking at people, and the animals look back at us through the screen.
The VIKTORIA DOK.deutsch Wettbewerb prize (7,500 euros) went to Wir Erben by Simon Baumann. In the film, a son who finds inheritance morally questionable films the process of deciding on his parents’ farm. Jury’s statement (in part): “Wir Erben confronts us with the question: How do we deal with the inheritance our parents will one day leave us? In a very personal way, director Simon Baumann uses a discussion within his own family about a property in France – which his parents intend to pass on to him and his brother – as a springboard to address issues that concern us all.”
The VIKTORIA DOK.horizonte Competition – Cinema of Urgency award was given to Jasna Krajinovic for Rashid, l”enfant de Sinjar. In the film, as a child, Rashid survived imprisonment by IS; as a teenager, he now faces a dilemma: to stay and fight for a future in Sinjar or to leave his home and friends behind? Amid insecurity and new threats, he is trying to find his path. Jury’s statement (in part): “With stunning cinematography and nuanced storytelling, this fantastic, deeply moving film engages a wide audience while bringing renewed attention to a persecuted people’s plight. It leaves a lasting emotional impression and opens a space for viewers to reflect on parallels with other oppressed and threatened communities worldwide.”
The kinokino Audience Award (2,000) was won by Writing Hawa by Najiba Noori. When the Taliban regains power in Afghanistan, Najiba picks up the pieces of her film portrait of her mother in exile. Through Hawa’s story, we follow the wave of emancipation that had swept across the land. Though this now lies in tatters, women like Hawa will not relinquish what they have taught themselves: “To act changes everything.”
OTHER AWARDS (as previously announced)
- Woman/Mother by Klara Harden won the megaherz Student Award (3,000 euros), Special mention: The Disappearance of Our Moments by Ahmad Siyar Noorza.
- The VFF Documentary Film Production Award (7,500 euros) went to A Nearly Normal Life by Stefan Sick
- The German Documentary Film Music Award (5,000 euros) was won by Mirjam Skal for Vracht (directed by Max Carlo Kohal)
- The DOK.edit Award (5,000 euros) went to Timo Langer for his work on A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things by Mark Cousins
- The All Inclusive Award (5,000 euros) was given to Ted Passon for Patrice: The Movie.
- The DOK.fest Award of SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit (3,000 euros) was won by Jasna Krajinovic for Rashid, l”enfant de Sinjar.
