2016 FESTIVAL DES LIBERTES INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
COMPETITION WINNERS
FESTIVAL OF LIBERTES AWARD:
MY ESCAPE by Elke Sasse
At a time when the European Union is literally closing itself off with reactionary policies, including the signing of agreements that blithely violate international law, My Escape reminds us in a highly confrontational way that migrants are more than just statistics. Through images filmed by these migrants themselves, this documentary shows us the incredible journey which men, women and children must make to find a place where they can live in safety. This film invites us to deconstruct the preconceptions about migrations and confronts us not only with our own humanity, but also with our responsibility: are we, as Europeans, ready to accept the disastrous consequences of the repressive policies being conducted in our names all around the continent?
Special Jury Prizes:
The Occupation of the American Mind by Loretta Alper & Jeremy Earp
The Jury Prize has been awarded to the documentary The Occupation of the American Mind, which explores the way in which the pro-Zionist lobby has for several decades been able to influence - and even shape - media coverage about the Israel-Palestine conflict so that it is systematically in favour of Israel.
Carefully honed, effective propaganda seeks to impose on the American mind and media a truncated and biased vision of this major conflict. The film provides pertinent and incontrovertible evidence of this state of affairs.
The Festival of Libertés jury has decided to support this film and its directors, who have had difficulty finding distributors and theatres in the United States.
RTBF Documentaries Award:
SONITA by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
It's a universal story: the story of a young girl, Sonita, who believes in her destiny till the end. She believes in it much more than we spectators do, we who would like to whisper in her ear not to have any illusions, to resign herself to her fate, to accept it, so that she doesn't suffer too much, because similar destinies have run aground on many shores where dreams have faded away. But we are wrong: thanks to her strong will and to her disregard for conventions, traditions and conformity, her dream becomes a reality. This young, undocumented Afghan living illegally in Iran gets her passport and visa for the United States, where she arrives with one idea in mind: to become a rapper! Thanks to a taut, breathless and always unpredictable narration, Sonita takes us on a journey proving that boldness, courage and the blitheness of youth can serve as examples about never giving up.
Marc Bouvier
Manager of the Documentaries Unit of RTBF
SMartBe Award:
STARLESS DREAMS by Mehrdad Oskouei
The SMart jury has decided to give this year's award to "Starless Dreams" by Mehrdad Oskouei. This immersion into a correctional facility for young Iranian girls impressed us with its aesthetics and its relevance. The discreet presence of the camera gives the protagonists a space for free and respectful expression. Above and beyond the technical prowess of creating such a close relationship with the young prisoners, we were also moved by the issues surrounding the status of women in Iran which the documentary raised. Through a series of intimate scenes, "Starless Dreams" presents the young girls' often weighty and dramatic words, which stand in contrast with their bright smiles and levity, and it does this without ever making the spectator into a voyeur. The documentary also convinced us with its impressive technical mastery, which succeeds in taking us into a closed space - in particular thanks to an excellent sense of framing.
The SMart jury has also awarded a special prize to the film "We'll Be Alright"
We would also like to award a special prize to "We'll Be Alright", whose sobriety, tone and originality particularly impressed us.
IFHR Award - International Federation for Human Rights:
SONITA by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
Sonita tells the extremely moving story of an exceptional young girl and a film-maker who changes the course of her life. This film reminds us that forced marriages are still the fate of most young Afghan girls, a fate that is almost impossible to escape. But Sonita wants a future other than just being a mother and cooking for her family, and even though it is forbidden for women to sing and play music, she pursues this path with talent and resolve. Her rap video "Brides for Sale" is a powerful plea against the forced marriage to which she is destined, and in the end it will open the door to a new life for her.
With this award, the IFHR jury wants to showcase Sonita's incredible story, her work as an activist against child marriage, and the work of the Iranian film-maker Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami, who has made much more than a documentary.
Salvador Allende Award:
THE ABORTION HOTLINE by Fernando López Escrivá
The Salvador Allende Centre and the Town of Evere have chosen "The Abortion Hotline" as the winner of the 2016 Salvador Allende Award. For the relevance of the subject, which unfortunately is still in the news, and the fact that this film shows the virtually underground struggle of women in one of the three countries in Latin America where abortion is totally illegal. Since then, the Chamber of Deputies of Chile has passed a law partially decriminalising abortion. Now it just needs to pass the Senate.
In Belgium, it's thanks to the political genius of Roger Lallemand that a law decriminalising abortion under certain conditions was passed in 1990.
Like all democratic gains, a woman's right to control her own body can be called into question in some conservative circles, as was recently the case in Poland. This film reminds us that vigilance and action are always needed.
We thank Fernando Lopez Escriva for "The Abortion Hotline".