Vietnam and Rwanda win the main prizes of the 21st film festival
The Vietnamese filmmaker receives her Special Mention for the documentary 'Children of the Mist', from Tina Lokk, at Miller. /
'Memoryland', by Kim Quy Bui, wins the Golden Lady Harimaguada, and the African 'Father's Day', by Kivu Ruhorahoza, wins the silver
Two Vietnamese feature films and another Rwandan have won the main prizes of a
21st edition of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival which, according to its director,
louis mirandahas "closed" to the idea that the organization has of what this event should be and that it was paralyzed by the covid-19 pandemic.
The fictional feature film
'Memoryland' by Kim Quy Buwas done with
Lady Harimaguada of Gold, main prize of this contest. The jury, made up of
Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Rita El Khayat and Tina Lokk, highlighted in his ruling that it is "a film that questions the survival of the soul of a culture, as well as its dead, through its funeral rites, in a society that struggles between tradition and modernity, spirituality and materialism. The film has a complex but fluid narrative and powerful images accompanied by the subtle and moving performance of the ensemble of its actors.
The Rwandan
'Father's Days', by Kivu Ruhorahoza, He took two of the main prizes. She achieved the
Silver Lady Harimaguada, for a “staging that very well directs the flow and the three sections or movements of the film. The film, which shows the new conditions of the Rwandan people after the genocide, is a new bet of the cinema in
Rwanda that pushes the creativity of filmmakers and all other people involved in filmmaking. The film also offers a beautiful vision of nature, illuminated by vitality and shared between landscapes and people," according to the jury.
Aline Amike and Mediatrice Kayitesi They share the award for Best Actress "for being on the same level of acting" and for being "an added value to the film, giving it strength and living meaning," the jury points out for their work on 'Father's Days'.
Vietnamese documentary
The
Special MentionThis year he also travels to Vietnam. The documentary was raised with this recognition
'Children of the Mist' by Ha Le Diemfilmmaker who collected his award in the sober award ceremony held yesterday morning at the Miller Building.
The jury justified it because this production shows "the courage that the choice between marriage and education entails for adolescent girls from this traditional community in northern Vietnam" and because "the director has managed to get close enough to the people she has filmed, making the whole community open their heart and soul freely. And, especially, the protagonist of it, the young and vital
Ma Thi Di."
The
Audience Awardawarded by a group of 23 film enthusiasts, has been for the co-production between Switzerland, France and Belgium
'La ligne', by Ursula Meier.
That same film and the Canadian documentary 'Geographies of Solitude' share the award from the Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media
(TOP)whose jury included Alba Sotorra, Dácil Manrique de Lara Millares and Nieves Maroto.
Director Janaina Wagner won the award for
best short film in the Official Section thanks to 'Curupira ea Máquina do Destino', while 'Biting the Dust', by Neozoo, received a Special Mention.
Rosa Pérez, Marina Kozul and María Vera awarded the prize for the section
band apart to 'Rewind & Play', by Alain Gomis.
During the reading of the winners, the awards that had already been announced during the week were also handed out.
The award
Richard Leacock for Best Feature Film went to 'Render the Males'by David Pantaleón from Gran Canaria, who after receiving his award invited the island filmmakers to continue shooting and appearing at festivals.
Bench, by Rafael Montezumawon the same award in the short films section,
'A flower in the void'by Jesús F. Cruz, won a Special Mention and
'Time (L)over', by Álvaro Pinell won the Digital 104 Award for distribution.
Panorama Spain, which premiered as a competitive section, consecrated its first feature film award
'Horses die at dawn', by Ione Atenea, while 'Cinco lobitos', by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, received a Special Mention.
