The wonderful photo above from the opening of DocsBarcelona some days ago does not represent the whole truth. Green should have been more dominant. At least according to my experience yesterday, where I was in the cinema for 6 hours attending three screenings, where two of them were with “a green message”: Mindaugas Survila’s magnificent visual poem, “The Ancient Woods” and the equally magnificent “Honeyland by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubo Stefanov. If you add – ok same superlative – “Aquarela” by Viktor Kossakovsky and Greek Marianna Economou’s “When Tomatoes Met Wagner” you have a collection of advocates for “we have to do something for our planet before it’s too late…”. From different angles.

This sounds very political correct but first and foremost the selection of films for DocsBarcelona has been done from cinematic criteria. And they were appreciated by the audience, I can confirm from being in the cinema hall. Colleague of Mindaugas Survila, the director of “The Ancient Woods”, Gintė ulytė from Lithuania, made a fine introduction to the film and answered questions about the patience it takes to film animals – waiting for the moose to appear – how the sound design was constructed for a film without words, how she (Ginté) had helped with the script writing as the film has a dramaturgy like any other film. The film sold around 55.000 cinema tickets in Lithuania and a good part of that income is saved for buying ancient woods to keep it for the animals and to keep us humans away… That message made the audience applaud.

As it did after the screening of “Honeyland”, where cameraman Samir Ljuma and director Tamara Kotevska charmed the audience talking about wonderful Hatidze and her life in the mountains of Macedonia. “Honeyland” has been praised on this site so no more words about its qualities, but click the link below and support what the filmmakers and Hatidze are doing… Honey with the right taste, original, as many of the spectators experience last night at the Aribau cinema at DocsBarcelona…

… where I also attended the premiere of Èric Motjer’s “Beirut – la vie en Rose”, a visit to the tormented capital of Lebanon, where the – as John Lennon would have said it – filthy rich rattle their jewels. The director has found some interesting characters, who take him to glorious parties in music video style sequences contrasted to a sympathetic Englishman, who talks about the past accompanied by his mother: those were the days. The son has not given up, he has plans for the future, and Mauricio, a super rich man sets up a shopping mall: The war in Syria is good for business in Lebanon. Oh yes!

The three screenings gave (almost) full house so I walked home to the hotel with a smile on my face. DocsBarcelona in full swing, indeed!

https://honeyland.earth

http://www.docsbarcelona.com/en/

Indeed, that was a lovely Friday at the cinema – in Barcelona on the second day of full program. As one of the programmers of the DocsBarcelona festival, it is a pleasure to sit with the audience to see how it reacts to what we have selected. There were 8 screenings yesterday, I was at two and a half… no I did not walk out from one but screening schedules overlap.

Sooo… lovely it was to watch and enjoy Marlén Viñayo’s „Cachada” with a numerous enthusiastic audience, that was totally seduced by the women, who take part in a theatre workshop, where they live out their traumas from childhood, the domestic violence and abuse they have experienced. Girls, they call themselves, the wonderful passionate big women with humour and the wish to share their feelings, to open their wounds to each other and the audience to whom they convey their stories in a theatrical version. Yes, films are appealing to your emotions and the old documentary addict, who is writing this text, was in tears at the end of the film, as were many in the CCCB theatre.

Marlén Viñayo, whose first film it is, was at the DocsBarcelona rough cut session two years ago, and from a film point of view it was great to see how the young director has managed to find her way of storytelling, her dramaturgy. The film has its European premiere at DocsBarcelona. It will travel!

Premiere – the same goes for ”Operation Globus” by another young female director Ariadna Seuba Serra, produced by Guillermo F. Flórez with the local broadcaster TV3 as partner. I popped in to watch the beginning of a film, that was also at the DocsBarcelona rough cut session – and afterwards I had the pleasure to look at several versions of a film about men from my generation, who wanted to explore the world, 40 years ago. Great archive material, a looking back on an adventure and a friendship from the young years. They were all there, the protagonists, it is always interesting to see those, who took their time to be in a film… will catch up on their reactions as I had to hurry for

… ”Privacy of Wounds”, which is a Norwegian production with Palestinian/Jordanian Dalia al-Kury as the director being present. ”I am happy if there are a bit more than 20 spectators”, she said to me – there was three times 20, if I am not mistaken, who in total silence and concentration was watching and listening to three Syrian men, who in a cell in Oslo, made for the film, with the director as the prison guard (!), with 3 days of shooting, convey how it was to be in a detention centre in Syria. The film is excellent, with an amazingly intelligent approach that works, an aesthetic choice she had made to give us horrible stories that touches the heart and makes you think… how long is this going to continue. Oufff!

www.docsbarcelona.com

Yes, it is tonight that DocsBarcelona opens with the screening of “Aquarela” by Viktor Kossakovsky, a dear friend of the festival and a true master of cinema. The festival runs until the 25th with films in the CCCB, cultural centre, and in the Aribau Cinema. After being in airplanes for six hours travelling from Tbilisi in Georgia, I reached Barcelona last night ready to introduce and talk with some of the 25 directors, who will be attending. First nice challenge is to have a talk with Kossakovsky tomorrow at the CCCB Theatre at 19.30.

As you have seen on the FB link, I had a haircut and a shave in Tbilisi for CinéDoc festival and DocsBarcelona.

Click below to see the good programme we have put together.

www.docsbarcelona.com

International Competition

Best Film –The Disappearance of My Mother (Photo) – by Beniamino Barrese

Jury statement – “This film openly talks about respect, dignity, beauty and honesty. The film makes us think about how we treat privacy and who has the right to use it, which is a very important question for any documentary film. An emotional insight into a relationship between mother and son.”

Beniamino Barrese, Director of The Disappearance of My Mother – “A million times thank you for this great uplifting warming cinematic and human experience. It was so great! Looking forward to meet you all again and hopefully share more cinematic and human experience… We are full of the beauty of the last days, travelling to Poland. I haven’t seen my mum so happy for a while and I’m so thankful of that to you all.”

Current Time TV Award – My father is My Mother’s Bother” by Vadim Ilkov

Kenan Alyiev, Executive Editor of Current Times TV – “The award goes to My Father is My Mother’s Brother by Vadim Ilkov. In this touching and intimate documentary the director shows the fragility of parental bonds, and the mystery that imbues the relationship between a child and an underground artist in a family struggling for happiness and normality. With this award we recognize the power of the director to speak about current realities with an artistic approach, and the deep understanding he brings to the characters.”

Special Jury Mention – Honeyland by Lubomir Stefanov and Tamara Kotevska

Jury Statement–“Exceptional images in a simple story that opens many

philosophical issues. By observing small insects who have incredible ability of collaboration we discover the greed of our society. If everyone could take away half of what they need the world would be a better place…”

Focus Caucasus Competition

Best Film – Wound by Arthur Sukiasyan

Jury statement–“For its superb cinematic qualities in every scene, for its rhythm and balance and focus on humans who live in a place, where time seems to stand still, the jury has decided to award as the best film in the Focus Caucasus section Wound by Arthur Sukiasyan.”

Georgian Public Broadcaster Award – Before Father Gets Back by Mari Gulbiani

Jury statement –“For its warm cinematically skilful portray of two girls, who survive everyday troubles through love and phantasy, for bringing up a current theme in the world of today, the jury has decided to award Before Father Gets Back by Mari Gulbiani.”

Special Jury Mention – A Life of Her Own by Tamara Mshvenieradze –“For precisely, with beauty and solidarity, conveying the life of a woman full of energy and will to have a good life on her own, the jury has decided to give a special honorary mention to A Life of her Own by Tamara Mshvenieradze.”

MAC Georgia-Shuki Movida Award – A Life of Her Own by Tamara Mshvenieradze

MAC Georgia Shuki Movida Statement–“All three films in this category – A Fear of the Past, A Life of her Own, and In the Land of Wolves, evidenced strong technical skill and offered the audience meaningful insights into life with a disability. For its skilled and sincere telling of Nunuka’s courageous steps towards overcoming challenges and establishing a life that is independent, we are pleased to give this year’s award to Tamara Mshvenieradze’s film A Life of Her Own.”

CinéDOC- Young (audience award – by children)

Best Film–Life is a beach by Jens Pedersen

Civil Pitch 2019 Awards

Production Award (USD 3000) – Missing My Body – The Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT) – Nino Chimakadze and Alexander Kvatashidze

Jury Statement– “The production award is given to a project revealing the hidden sorrow of many Georgian families, told in a very original cinematographic way, adding different layers to the story.”

Development Award (USD 500) –Identity in Process – New Vector, Mariam Jibuti and Nino Memanishvili

Jury Statement – “Identity in Process is a special project for opening up a pressing issue in Georgian society, through a character who is looking for a hope in difficult circumstances.”

Current Time TV Award (1000 USD)–Vitali – Center for Participation and Development-Tamar Kapanadze and Keti Gigashvili

Kenan Alyiev, Executive Editor of Current Times TV – “The award the Civil Pitch the project with the title – Vitali. This is a Georgian project by Tamar Kapanadze and Keti Gigashvili that explores the rise of far-right extremism in Georgia. We hope the film helps people confront the rise of extremism, and its terrifying implications for Georgian democracy. This film is dedicated to Vitali, and Georgians need to know his story.”

New Talents Caucasus Awards

Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries Award –Ever Since I Know Myself, Maka Gogaladze

The Author of the project will participate at the Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries held in Riga, Latvia, in September 3-7, 2019

Zane Balcus, Pitching Forum Representative of Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries –“For a poetical and personal, memory driven story connecting past and present in an original, and visually complex form.”

Current Time TV Award (USD 1000)–Mothers, Sons and Homeland Leyli Gafarova

Sergei Trofimov – Acquisition and Commissioning Manager of Current Time TV– “The film uses the stories of two families, two mothers and their sons, to try and understand a country still living between peace and war. Current Time always supports new talent, new voices, from some of the most difficult places, and today we are very proud to recognize Leyli Gafarova, this new talent from Azerbaijan.”

Eurasiadoc Awards –

Beauty and the Lawyer by Hovhannes Ishkhanian

and

Cadillac Dreams by Elene Mikaberidze

Mariam Chachia, Representative of Eurasiadoc– Eurasiadoc is a French programme which helps documentary filmmakers to transform their ideas to the films. This year Eurasiadoc is awarding prizes for one Georgian and one Armenian filmmaker. These authors will have the possibility to attend two weeks scriptwriting residency and develop their projects with EurasiaDoc trainers. Two brave projects grabbed our attention. They tell us stories about the fight for freedom. Even though the characters of the projects are totally different from each other, all of them choose to fight for equality and they try to break down the boarders which are made by humans. The prizes of Eurasiadoc 2019 for the Georgian residency goes to the project Cadillac Dreams by Elene Mikaberidze. The prize for Eurasiadoc 2019 for the Armenian residency goes to the project Beauty and the Lawyer by Hovhannes Ishkhanyan.”

http://www.cinedoc-tbilisi.com

Csilla Kato, member of the Caucasus Jury at Cinédoc Tbilisi wrote this longer version of motivation for the winner:

Earthquake shakes our basic security feeling and the basic assumption, belief, that we can accommodate comfortable life on a supporting and peaceful earth.

Wound brings us into a human world where the Armenian earthquake stricken town people integrated this experience of living with open wounds of earthquake tragedy for a long run.

It is a state of being that can be spiritually rewarding, as one of the protagonists states, referring to the example of Job from Bible.The film builds up a special time world, with the slowly changing rhythm of the sequences, long takes with still images, as well as the rhythm of the movement of the people in the film. The jury appreciated the craft of minimalist cinema used by Arthur Sukiasyan, through which he succeeds to evoke the state of being of people on the edge of existence.

Armenia, 2019, 25 mins.

http://www.cinedoc-tbilisi.com/

10 projects were part of the Civil Pitch in Tbilisi, one of the activities of the Industry section of Cinédoc Tbilisi festival in the capital of Georgia.

After a couple of days of training led by Daniel Abma and Brigid O’Shea, both from the DOKLeipzig, the NGO representatives and filmmakers were ready to present their projects to a panel including representatives from IDFA Bertha Fund, Baltic Sea Docs, Current Time TV, Golden Apricot Festival in Jerevan, One World Festival in Prague, DOK Leipzig…

The idea of the Civil Pitch is great: The NGO’s bring the subjects, the filmmakers the film skills. More or less, because many of the filmmakers were quite young and unexperienced – learning by doing.

They all did a good presentation, verbally, with passion and enthusiasm, more difficult with the visuals – the trailers/teasers – as many of the projects were very young as the filmmakers. What impressed me was the quality of language skills and that the NGO’s and filmmakers matched each other in a way that I sometimes had difficulties in understanding, who is who.

For me, who had the pleasure of moderating the session, the Civil Pitch gives me a fine inside to the troubles of the country, the issues needed to be discussed – like transgender, to be a young activist, to have lost a son in the war, people with disabilities, hate groups, pollution (yes, it’s terrible on the Rustaveli Boulevard) and North Ossetia that is a melting point of different cultures, the Ossetian, the Georgian and the Russian. Not to forget a project about a silent monk worshipped by thousands of people outside the official religious circles.

The venue – as previous years – was at the Open Society Georgia Foundation. Great hosts.

http://www.cinedoc-tbilisi.com/