ZagrebDox Awards 2012
The international jury as well as the jury for the regional competition both selected short documentaries, when the members awarded their favourites. Ignoring the long documentaries the Big Stamp for the best film in the international section went to the 7 minutes long Polish ”Returns” (photo) by Krzysztof Kadlubowski. The Regional recognition as best film was given to 17 minutes long ”A Day on the Drina” by Bosnian Ines Tanovic. The latter is what the Germans would call ”eine Dokumentation” on the sad compilation of remains of Bosniaks killed by the army of Republika Srpska in the period between 1992-95. The skeletons were discovered in 2010. The Polish film ”Returns” deals with the aftermath of the flight tragedy on the 10th of April of 2010, where 96 people, including the President and other officials, died on their way to commemorate the 70th year of the Katyn massacre performed by the Soviet army on Polish officers. In the airport soldiers train for the ceremony to be held when the corpses return. Accompanied by Chopin the soldiers exercise how to carry the coffins, how to stand, how to walk, how to salute, how to place the coffins. It is all very absurd and takes you by the heart.
Mentions were among others given to ”Family Meals”, see below, ”Ramin” by Audrius Stonys and two other Polish shorts, ”Decrescendo” by Marta Minorowicz and ”Paparazzi” by Piotr Bernas. Both are from Andrzej Wajda Master School in Warsaw, both have excellent cinematography, a trade mark for Polish documentary, but both also suffer a bit from a lack of ”breathing”. Especially ”Decrescendo” would have profited from having some of the beautiful scenes stand longer to develop, as the characters are so interesting.
A prize for best director under 35 minutes was given to ”The Will” by Danish Christian Sønderby Jepsen, and a ”Movies that Matter” award was handed to Tatiana Huezo for her ”The Tiniest Place”.
The award ceremony at this international festival was surprisingly led by Nenad Puhovski in Croatian language! That can be done much better, more professional and festive! Like the festival was during the whole week.
