© fnto – Gare du Midi – Fipadoc 2024 Closing ceremony
- GRAND PRIX INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints
A small log house in the forest of Estonia. A fire is stoked, its embers ignite a special, confined space where a small group of souls sit naked, fully present, fully vulnerable to one another and to us. Smoke Souna Sisterhood takes us into a profound intimate journey through pain,
grief, regret, hope, joy, and shared laughter — a journey that it feels like testimony at first but we realize is a special purifying ritual. The director creates an extraordinarily safe space for us as audience and for her characters who allow themselves to expose their fragility and realize their strength. In this mirror is reflected a nuanced story of the pain and resilience of women throughout time.
- GRAND PRIX FRENCH DOCUMENTARY
A Shepherd by Louis Hanquet
There is a misunderstanding about the term “pathétique.” This film, “A Shepherd,” is pathétique in the literal sense: it evokes intense emotions that swept us away in this poem. This ode to life, nature, movement, and the inevitable is delivered with visual, auditory, and dramaturgical mastery. “Un pasteur” is truly cinema!
- GRAND PRIX IMPACT DOCUMENTARY
Against the tide by Sarvnik Kaur
This exceptional documentary, through its aesthetics and intimate narration, paints the portrait of magnificent characters facing profoundly universal challenges. In the manner of a documentary fable, this film will prompt reflection on issues related to fishing and environmental protection. However, beyond that, it keenly raises the question of our resilience in the face of a globalized world with limited resources, dominated by the powerful.
What sacrifices are acceptable to survive when daily life is an ongoing struggle for the less fortunate? How can one perpetuate traditions? How to remain true to oneself? These intimate struggles are perfectly illustrated by “Against the Tide.” Its message is a call to take action in favor of more solidarity and sharing, so that the world remains sustainable for the majority of humanity.
- GRAND PRIX MUSICAL DOCUMENTARY
Little Richard: I Am Everything by Lisa Cortés
We unanimously chose to commend “Little Richard: I Am Everything,” directed by Lisa Cortes, a poignant narrative enriched with archives and testimonials that restores the artist to a central place in the history of music. Deeply relevant and skillfully executed, this portrait of Little Richard as a major figure in pop culture depicts a complex, creative, and audacious life journey. It sheds light on the aspirations and expressions of society and artists in our time.
- SMART AWARD
Spots of Light by Adam Weingrod
The Smart Jury unanimously decided to award ‘Spots of Life’ the Best Film prize in the
Smart category. This VR masterpiece dives into the destiny of Dan Layani, a solider who
lost his sight in war. Unimaginable in a traditional format, imparting a powerful life lesson,
‘Spots of Light’ has illuminated Biarritz Immersive with its profound storytelling,
reminding us that courage and hope can indeed be found even in the darkest corners.
In the midst of full darkness, it reaffirms that one can always find his/her light.
- SACEM ORIGINAL SCORE AWARD
A Shepherd by Louis Hanquet
“The jury for the Original Score Award has distinguished a score that significantly contributes to the cinematic narrative and holds a crucial place in the dramaturgy. This genuine and powerful musical gesture exemplifies what a collaboration between a filmmaker and a composer can bring to life in a bold and daring manner. The jury honors Julien Ribot for his score in the film ‘A shepherd’.”
- SHORT FILM DOCUMENTARY AWARD
Madeleine by Raquel Sancinetti
The jury rewarded this film for its ability to explore various techniques and seamlessly combine them. Through the beauty of animated characters and their intimate connection with the people filmed, this work successfully addresses old age and approaching death, blending gentleness, humor, and irony. The jury was moved by the sincere relationship the director maintains with Madeleine and her artistic approach, which adds a new dimension to reality and makes it evolve.
- NEW TALENT AWARD
Fatmé by Diala Al Hindaoui
We were honored and delighted to explore the multiple worlds created by potential future filmmakers who invited us in. Recognizing young talent in a competition at Fipadoc confirmed our believe that nurturing talent is essential for the documentary film genre and community. We decided to award a film that moved us with its beautifully captured intimate moments, embracing its narrative imperfections. The winner exemplifies the promise of a courageous filmmaker unafraid to immerse into delicate contemporary stories. The winner of the Jeune Creation Award is “Fatmé” by Diala Al Hindaoui
- PRIX TËNK
Basia: Three Short Stories by Mateusz Pietrak
“We are delighted to award this year, on behalf of Tënk, the documentary cinema platform, the Tënk-Fipadoc Young Creation Award to the film ‘Basia: Three Short Stories’ by Mateusz Pietrak.
The art of portraiture is delicate, and Mateusz Pietrak manages to introduce us to Basia in a subtle and intimate manner. In the film, Basia is alone but surrounded. She is anxious yet full of energy. She is serious yet humorous. That is surely what a true encounter is about: accessing the paradoxes of human beings. The director films Basia in her intimacy but with great discretion. He is close to her but captures her solitude. He shows her talking but also silent. We were very moved by these nuances, this delicacy, this ability, at times, to film from a distance (behind a door, a curtain) without impudence. Trust is there. And we need to feel that trust to appreciate the portrait well. The film’s three-part structure allows for that too: progressing in the encounter, entering the family, seeing the tenderness, fears, and death that pervade many things, to culminate in the poetry of a monologue, a representation, and the risk in front of the audience.
Thank you to Mateusz Pietrak for letting us get to know a small part of Basia in this way. This award we present consists of acquiring SVOD rights for a two-month broadcast on Tenk.fr, as well as 500 euros for the director. We look forward to introducing this film to our subscribers!”
- YOUNG EUROPEANS AWARD
Bon voyage by Karine Birgé
This year the decision of the Jury came out of a diverse selection of strong and
powerful documentaries — not only for the topics they dealt with but also in the way
they conveyed them. With the story of her grandmother, the director of Bon Voyage Karine Birgé uses a risky and experimental way of storytelling, combining both theatrical and classical cinematic tools. They merge in a hybrid form of documentary filmmaking.
Bon Voyage is a very personal story and for that reason it also reaches a broader
audience through an accessible and universal approach. In her filmmaking Karine Birgé uses a very haptic and crafty way of storytelling. Sound, as well, becomes an additional tool to build up the plot of the film. The Jury wants to award Karin Birgé for her unique talent to translate her own feelings to the audience portraying life, death and love in a very beautiful, sincere, and human way.
- MITRANI AWARD
Riverboom by Claude Baechtold
If the Mitrani award typically recognizes a first or second film, it is common for it to take several years to complete. In this case, it took 20 years! 20 years because the footage shot during what was supposed to be just a pretext to travel to Afghanistan was lost, found, and 20 years later, we have a different perspective on life. These images, documenting the adventure of three young, courageous – and somewhat reckless – aspiring journalists, also tell a personal journey where the intimate and the political intertwine for a truly bizarre outcome.
With a great deal of humor and self-deprecation, this narrative becomes a present-day story, pulling a genuinely comical thread where, between the lines, one can read the weight that has fallen on Afghanistan today. We wonder what has become of the people with luminous gazes. To venture into documentary comedy was a bold move, and the gamble paid off. We are delighted to award Riverboom the Mitrani Prize.”
- CINÉ+ AWARD
20 days in Mariupol by Mstyslav Chernov
Some images stand out for their strength, stemming from the encounter with the reality inscribed in them, no matter how brutal and challenging it may be. This is also proof that images have a role to play, in the present and for the future, for having existed in a context where, in addition to the reality of war, there is a second reality, that of the war of images.
Documenting a war is not an easy task. Television channels show shocking images, the culmination points of the conflict in its ongoing narrative. The temporality of a film is different, unfolding the submerged side of these images and sounds, what led to their emergence and existence, captured in a duration, another experience of time, which constitutes a second proof. Such is the strength, quality, and uniqueness of this film that invites the viewer to face reality. The Ciné+ Award goes to: ’20 Days in Mariupol’ by Mstyslav Chernov
- POUR LES FEMMES DANS LES MÉDIAS AWARD
Hawar, our banished children by Pascale Bourgaux
Within the PFDM association, we unanimously chose to award “HAWAR: Our Banished Children.” The plight of Yazidi women touched us deeply because they endure a quadruple punishment: abducted, enslaved, impregnated by their tormentors, and once liberated, they are forced to abandon their children by their own families. Once again, it is women and children who bear the price of men’s madness.
We have chosen to acknowledge the work of Pascale Bourgaux for her exceptional documentary filmed in dangerous and challenging conditions. She managed to immerse us in the quest of a woman whose face we will never see, but to whom we became profoundly attached. At PFDM, we are proud and happy to award her this prize.
