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On 22 October 2011, at Teatro San Marco in Trento, the Prizes of the XIV Religion Today Film Festival were awarded to the winners.
The INTERNATIONAL JURY, composed of Michèle Bourgeot (filmaker and winner of the "Dialogue and Peace" Special Award at the 2010 Religion Today Film Festival) - France, Dorothea Franck (a graduate in linguistic and philosophy of language, working on the themes of philosophy, literature, poetry, aesthetics, art and religion) - The Netherlands, Serge Goriely (teacher at the Catholic University of Louvain, filmaker and screenwriter, and one of the founders and organizators of the Cinespi Film Festival) - Belgium, Einat Kapach (independent director and scriptwriter, Director of International Relations & Special Projects at Ma'aleh Film School in Jerusalem) - Israel, and Giuseppe Zito (a graduate in philosophy, theology and film-making, an author and cinema critic) - Italy, confered the following awards:
Religion Today Award "In the Spirit of Faith": GOLD AND COPPER (Homayoun Asadian, feature film, Iran 2010) The prize "In the Spirit of Faith" was awarded to the film GOLD AND COPPER. A man, torn between family needs and his ambition to become a religious leader, finally manages through love, faith and hope to find his own way for deeper comfort and spiritual enrichment. In spite of its simplicity, the film shows in a convincing way how everyday life problems can be understood as a key for one's spiritual path. Best Film: DES HOMMES ET DES DIEUX (Xavier Beauvois, France 2010) For the powerful use of a poetic visual language, for the accuracy of the historical research and most importantly for the ability to express the depth of human spirit, therefore of religion, at the same time capable of horror and purest love, the International Jury of Religion Today Film Festival 2011 assigns the award for best feature film to DES HOMMES ET DES DIEUX. Best Short Film: 71 SQUARE METERS (Eliran Malka, Israel 2010)
The International Jury has decided to award the prize for best short film to 71 SQUARE METERS. With an excellent command of cinematic language, this film describes one man's inner journey into his past as he examines his unfaithfulness toward his parents' spiritual legacy. The film subtly tackles deep-rooted rivalries between Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities. Ultimately, it successfully shows the diversity of Jewish rituals, and provides a glimpse into the mysteries of social relationships built through tradition. Best Documentary: THE NUN (Galina Adamovich, Belarus 2010) The award for Best Documentary was unanimously assigned to THE NUN, a portrait of an exceptional person whose spiritual path guided her from the life of a celebrated composer, spouse and mother to the life of an orthodox nun. The film shows how artistic genius can acquire new depth and meaning by becoming an integral part of religious practice. The beauty, humility and honesty of this spiritual quest, along with the transcendent power of music, make this film a jewel of a documentary. Special Mention: CORPO CELESTE (Alice Rohrwacher, feature film, Italy 2010) The jury awards a special mention to the film CORPO CELESTE. Through the portrait of the young protagonist as she reaches maturity, the film deconstructs the hypocrisy of the world of adults and institutionalized religion, finally hinting at the possibility of a genuine and personal spiritual journey. This year a special prize has again been awarded by a SIGNIS JURY (World Catholic Association for Communication), composed of Guido Convents (secretary of SIGNIS - Cinemadesk) - Belgium, Rebecca Tennenhaus (Festival Coordinator at Insight Film Festival in Manchester) - UK and Teresa Braccio (responsible for International Communications - Daughters of Saint Paul) - Italy, who have assigned the following award and mentions:
Signis Award: GOLD AND COPPER (Homayoun Asadian, feature film, Iran 2010) In a cinematographic language that focuses on the essence, the Iranian director shows that faith cannot only be found in study and books, but above all can be found through daily life and the love of another. Signis Special Mention: CORPO CELESTE (Alice Rohrwacher, feature film, Italy 2010) Using fresh cinematography, Corpo Celeste tells a contemporary story about Catholicism in Italy. Seen through the eyes of a young girl on the verge of becoming a woman, the spectator discovers two sides of religious practice; the one which serves the institution, and the one which shepherds the flock. Signis Special Mention: THE NUN (Galina Adamovich, documentary, Belarus 2010) In this documentary about the life of a nun who is also a singer and a mother, her religious vocation is not treated in an abstract way. Factors that contribute to her former life before entering the monastery become elements that enrich the community she works within. Other prizes were awarded by the SPECIAL JURIES in the cities of the Festival: Poverty. Problem or Opportunity? Special Jury of Young People from Pergine Valsugana THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF THE USELESS THINGS (Katja Schupp, documentary, Poland-Germany 2010) Two peoples - the Germans and the Poles: that which is a problem for the first becomes an opportunity for the latter. In a consumeristic society, THE MAGICAL JOURNEY OF THE USELESS THINGS seems to indicate an alternative way. Weaving together the stories of objects and people, the film shows two faces of modern Europe, between wealth and poverty, stereotypes and genuine human pathways. Dialogue Inter-religious Jury Trento - Don Silvio Franch Prize: FAITH IN LONDON (Tariq Chowdry, short film, UK 2010) Mentions: ESCAPELAND (Oren Tirosh, documentary, Israel 2009) AGAINST THE CURRENT (Michèle Tyan, documentary, Lebanon 2011) While wishing to show its appreciation of the worth of all the films in consideration, the interreligious jury of Trento would particularly like to mention the documentaries AGAINST THE CURRENT and ESCAPELAND, respectively for the in-depth examination of the positive role faith can have in the face of violence and social injustice and for the message of love and hope contained in a human story which is told with great tact in all its complexity. A prize is awarded to the short FAITH IN LONDON for the strong synthesis of form and content which show an effective use of the language of advertising and video clips. In just three minutes, the frenetic life of a big city and the timeless universality of the message proposed by the "golden rule" of each religion, cone together under the same sky. Religion and Society Special Jury of Journalists from the city of Trento Ex aequo GAZA HOSPITAL (Marco Pasquini, documentary, Italy 2009) Gaza Hospital depicts life in one of the symbolic places of the history of Beirut, in the context of the upheaval of the Middle East. The film stands out for the excellent use of images and the editing, which fuses together archive material with live footage of certain life experiences. The real protagonist of the film is the same Gaza Hospital, a catalyst of people, energy and urgency, which develop alongside the changing historical situation. It is a work of high civil value in which religion is not explicit, but where spirituality pervades through the stories of the witnesses and the places themselves. SOS MUEZZIN (Mamdouh Ben Abdelghaffar, short film, Tunisia 2009) For the originality of the subject and the choice of irony as an expressive register to condense into only 12 minutes the fracture between the traditional and profoundly religious role of the muezzin on the one hand, contrasted with the evolution of modern society permeated by opportunism, individualism and loss of values on the other. Women and Religions Special Jury of Arco HALIMEH (Tahereh Hassanzadeh, short film, Iran 2010) Although the jury appreciated the strength and indisputable cinematic quality of IO SONO CON TE and CORPO CELESTE, it decided to award the prize to HALIMEH for its evocative poetry and poignant symbolism of the imagery. Rites and Beliefs Trento Special Jury - in memory of Massimo Prevedello THE END (Predrag Bambic, short film, Serbia 2010) The end is not an end in itself but is also a new beginning. A profound reflection on that which makes life unique: our relationships, values, the people we love, the mistakes we make; an original invitation to give importance to that which really counts, without waiting until it is too late. Schools and Communication Special Jury of Students from the city of Trento and Bolzano THE POTENTIAL INSIDE (Scotty Curlee, feature film, US 2010) The film suitably takes on the typically American style of a sports film to tackle themes close to the viewer. Difficult topics such as pain, mourning, commitment in moments of difficulty, the meaning of life itself; all these themes are covered in an intelligent and delicate way; an example of how to deal with these and other themes of everyday life in an exciting and compelling manner. Portraits Special Jury of Lisignago JOSEPH W THE DISSENTER (Caroline Glorion, feature film, France-UAE 2010) The extraordinary life of padre Joseph Wresinski who decides to make a stand for the poor people of a shantytown on the outskirts of Paris in the Sixties is told with courage and intensity; an occasion to reflect on faith and poverty, dignity and rights. Fraternity Special Jury of Nomadelfia THE HEIRS OF MOTHER TERESA (Delphine Prunault, documentary, France 2010) In the "City of Joy" it is impossible not to be sensitive to the great legacy of Mother Theresa: three moving stories on reaching out to the poorest outcasts of society; a journey into the misery they face with great kindness and discretion.
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