SOLE LUNA AWARDS / INTERNATIONAL JURY
Best documentary
Prisons Sisters, Nima Sarvestani
Il film esprime in maniera esemplare la complessità di costruire ponti fra radicamenti culturali differenti. Anche quando tutto lascia presagire la possibilità per la protagonista di affrancarsi dai legami primordiali, familiari e religiosi, riemerge la forza dell’appartenenza.
Prison Sisters trailer 90 sec from Nima Film on Vimeo.
Mention for best direction
Who’s gonna love me now?, Tomer Heymann, Barak Heymann
The anthropologic imagination of the film is reflected by its capacity to link a personal story to wider issues. The director skilfully depicts complex issues concerning identity, religion and familiar relationships. Through the protagonist’s life a traditionalist community is lead to critically reflect about itself.
Mention for best photography
Dead Ears, Linas Mikuta
A poetic and mysterious photography evokes the unusual way in which the subject interacts with the environment. It sharply and dazzlingly shows the stepmother nature, which is as indifferent to animals as it is indifferent to a father and a child. It reflects and reinforces a sensibility which is strengthened by the protagonist’s disability.
Filmo ŠALTOS AUSYS / DEAD EARS anonsas / trailer from MONOKLIS on Vimeo.
Mention for best editing
69 minutes in 86 days, Egil Haskjold Larsen
The accurate representation of the temporal dimension is shown through the young protagonist’s point of view throughout her odyssey to Sweden. This allows the audience to identify itself with the migrants, the unwilling travellers of our time.
Mention for most innovative documentary
Eau Sacrée, Olivier Jourdain
The film faces, with surprising simplicity, the sensitive subject of female pleasure. Using cheerful and common language, it leads us to question the topic in a fresh and original way.
A BRIDGE BETWEEN CULTURES AWARD
Brother Jacob, Eli Roland Sachs
One of the main goals of the Sole Luna – A bridge between cultures Association is to animate a reflection on the society that surrounds us, with particular attention to younger generations. For this reason, our award goes to BROTHER JACOB, a film that with harmony and sincerity, tells a story more than ever about present time and loneliness: the difficult conversion of Jacob to Islam, his reflections and his continuous efforts to face his own fragility. The film is a gesture of love by his brother Eli and it becomes a road, a bridge, capable of bringing Jacob’s intimate drama to surface; he finally begins a formative and constructive self-analysis.
Brother Jakob trailer from Taskovski Films on Vimeo.
SPECIAL JURY NEW ITALIANS
As far as the section ‘Short Films’ of Sole Luna Doc Film Festival XII Edition is concerned, the special Jury “New Italians”, proclaimed “Alan” by Mohammad Jouri winner of this section giving the following considerations:
_ – The theme: the young protagonist’s determination in facing the adversities of life in the environment he lives in.
_ – The direction and editing which allow the flawless and coherent flow of the narration
_ – The efficacy of photography in consideration of the theme and context
_ – The creativity of the soundtrack played by the protagonist himself
SPECIAL JURY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
As far as the section ‘Human Rights’ of Sole Luna Doc Film Festival XII Edition is concerned, the members of the special Jury ‘High school Students’ (Liceo Scientifico Albert Einstein, Liceo Scientifico Benedetto Croce, Liceo Linguistico Ninni Cassarà, Palermo) have unanimously proclaimed “Prison Sisters” by Nima Sarvestani and “Dove vanno le nuvole” by Massimo Ferrari, winners ex aequo. Below are the Jury’s arguments:
Prison Sisters by Nima Sarvestani
– The documentary’s clear testimony about women’s conditions in countries where an extremist view of Islam is dominant
– The director’s splendid capability to tell the protagonists’ story by entering an intimate dimension, by showing short moments of their everyday life which have deep existential and cultural meaning
– The magnificent screenplay and the efficient editing thanks to which a strong empathy between the protagonists and the audience is created
– The ability to tell in a captivating way, and in different cultural environments, the way of living of Afghan and western women, allowing the spectators to question what ‘cultural difference’ actually is
– The overwhelming perseverance through which it leads the audience to find out about the protagonists’ destiny
– The narrative intensity of the message through which it provides the audience with an instance of courageous fight for freedom and for women’s rights
Dove vanno le nuvole by Massimo Ferrari
– The capability to tell, under different circumstances, the welcoming of the migrants; it highlights the commitment of those people who, through their constant and unselfish work, help other human beings to build a new fulfilling life within Italian society after unwillingly escaping their countries of origin.
– The ability to spread a message of hospitality which promotes the welcoming of the “foreigner” from a point of view focused on faith and hope, rather than on fear and rancor
– The message of open-mindedness which is gracefully delivered to the audience, inviting the spectators to resist stereotypes which are as dull as they are deadly.
– The spotless and flawless editing which supports in a direct and truthful way the narrative of real life stories
AUDIENCE AWARD
Eau Sacrée, Olivier Jourdain