La Bocca del Lupo Awarded at Dokufest
The International Documentary Competition jury at Dokufest in Prizren, Kosovo, composed of Pamela Cohn (USA), Sonja Henrici (Scotland), AJ Schnack (USA), Adriatik Kelmendi (Kosovo) and Doug Block (USA) awarded the Italian film La Bocca Del Lupo (The Mouth of Wolf) by Pietro Marcello (photo, previously reviewed on this site) as Best Int’l Feature Documentary and Albert’s Winter by Danish director Andreas Koefoed as Best Int’l Short Documentary. About “The Mouth of the Wolf” the jury said: Using unique archive footage, Italian documentarist and Genoese native Pietro Marcello has succeeded in brilliantly reviving the unique atmosphere of Genoa’s port quarter, which he then uses as a backdrop to unfold a singular love story between a tough but goodhearted Sicilian named Enzo and transsexual Mary.
And about the Best International Short Documentary, “Albert’s Winter” by Andreas Koefoed, Denmark: Albert is at his window, watching the snow dance through the cold winter. Eight years old and feeling the pressure of the world. His mother is sick and in chemotherapy. Albert would rather not talk about it. Meanwhile his parents want him to start choir school.
The jury also gave two special mentions. First mention went to Brit Adam Stafford for his film The Shutdown and the second mention to American filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt for his suicide exposé The Darkness of Day. The jury noted the following for films: “The jury was incredibly impressed with the breadth and quality of the short films in this year’s international competition. We are giving two honorable mentions to films that expand the documentary
form in exciting new ways. The Jury Prize for Short Film goes to a beautiful, emotional and quietly moving portrait of a young boy as he adjusts to his life changing over the course of a single season. The prize goes to Andreas Koefoed’s Albert’s Winter. The feature films in the international competition were also incredibly strong. But there was one film that united the jury, far exceeding our expectations. For its haunting, lyrical and gorgeous depiction of one city and one remarkable love story, the jury is proud to award its prize to Pietro Marcello’s The Mouth of the Wolf.”
The Green Docs Competition jury composed of Nael Marandin (France), Ruben Khachatryan (Armenia) and Jaume Gill (Spain) gave the main award to documentary Garbage Dreams by Mai Iskander from USA and the special mention to the film Into Eternity by Danish director Michael Madsen. The jury noted the following about the winning films: “We have been seduced by this beautiful and touching testimony of the life of 3 teenagers that sheds light on the environmental and social situation of garbage collection and recycling in Cairo, especially because this film stresses the importance of people’s empowerment and local solutions in order to build a society more respectful of the people and our environment. The Jury has also decided to attribute a Special Mention to Into Eternity by Michael Madsen. The film takes the audience on a fascinating journey into the future raising vertiginous questions about mankind and bringing into light the long term impact, danger and costs of nuclear energy.”
The Human Rights jury composed of Katerina Bartoseva (Czech Republic), Ramadan Klisurica (Kosovo) and Kumjana Novakova (Macedonia) awarded Cambodia/UK co-production Enemies of the People by Thet Sambath and Rob Lemkin with Best Human Rights film at DokuFest while at the same time giving the special mention to Macedonian documentary Tobacco Girl by Biljana Garvanlieva. The jury statement reads; “The presence of human rights award within an inspiring and prestigious, yet intimate creative documentary festival as DokuFest in Prizren is, comes as a recognition for the powers of creative documentary cinema to provoke and contribute to social justice as a space for alternative, critical and engaged inquiries, alongside its excellence in artistic and aesthetic terms. Doku Fest 2010 presents its human rights award to Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath’s inspiring, brave and illuminating film Enemies of the People. Through the personal facing the past process and documenting one of the bloodiest regimes humanity has witnessed, the Khmer Rouge, this documentary reflects on both past and present, thus breaking the silence and opening the incontestable “truth” none is allowed to question. The human rights award jury gives a special mention to the poetic confrontation of established social norms and multilayered inequalities of Biljana Garvanlieva, with her Tobacco Girl”
The Audience award, calculated from the votes casted by the audience went to the film Married to the Camera by Doga Kilciogly from Turkey. DokuKids award went to Finnish animation Benigni by Elli Vuorinen and Sorra prize to the short documentary Greetings from Kosovo by Suada Jahirovic.
