Winning Films

Jurytext: The jury is awarding a documentary that is questioning the definition of home by rarely using words but pictures. And still we understand, as they’re so strong. Emotions like the feeling of misplacement, the family’s incomprehension about the path the young woman has chosen and the feeling of loneliness by being surrounded of a crowd of people are completely transferred through static shots of the protagonists and their surroundings. Daily chapters introduce us to the director’s family and friends, not only opening doors to their homes but also to their thoughts about current political developments in their country. We’ve been impressed by this observational journey, in which a voyeuristic camera is the silent companion of a young woman while she is forced to deal with and to think about her past, her origin and belonging. The directors subtle but powerful audiovisual language used to address the topic of migration and alienation - which are and always have been current and relevant - convinced us.

Jurytext: A woman tries to assemble pieces to find a wholeness again. A child scratches a steamed window to fill the time. A distant haunting violin functions as a torch that gleamed through the fog without dispelling it. In this film a recognizable situation sets the stage for an apocalyptic scenery, in which we are guided by characters that themselves are uncertain of their destination. A thick layer of fog (or smog) prevents them from looking ahead and forces them to look inside. This film carefully balances between absurdism and poetry and blew the jury away right from the intriguing opening shot. By assembling fragments of human reactions and small stories, the director confronts us with a mirror on human nature in times of crises. An intelligent, well crafted and original film that made the jury curious about what will happen when the fog finally clears. But most of all the jury is curious what this promising filmmaker will do next. The jury award for best fiction film goes to ‘The Day That Was White’ from director Wannes Vanspauwen.

Jurytext: Acting is a much-discussed profession. The boundary between who you are as a person and which people can give you a voice as the same person is adjusted every day. Rightly so. Lovely portraits passed by during the festival, of people who stole our hearts with their honesty, and strong personalities. Yet it was an interpretation, translating a fictitious emotional world into something real, giving a voice to someone who too often goes unheard, that touched the jury the most. From the first second, the jury was blown away by the emotional maturity of a very young actress, who makes you as an audience swing between between love, anger, insecurity and sadness. It’s a power to bring lightness in a dark atmosphere by being vulnerable. The film offers you a lot of questions and leaves a lot to your imagination, but you feel that the actress has all the answers to feed her performance and keep us hooked, and that’s enough. Despite not being sung, this is a song about love, dreams, talent and an award for Pip Campbell's incredible performance in Wacht by Sophie Kurpershoek

Jurytext: In this film, the camera follows the main character as she starts questioning her life choices. The film opens with a beautiful floating movement, where a contrast is being made between the poetry of the images and the mechanical harshness of the theme. The beautiful and disturbing tableau vivants the camera passes by, reminded the jury of the visual style from Peolo Sorontino. The lens captures the internal struggle of our main character, while also beating to the rhythm of the city. The jury was stunned by the visual beauty of the shots and the cinematic use of color and lightning. The mesmerizing end sequence definitely lived up to the title.

Jurytext: More than any other award, the award for best debut is a promise for the future. It implies that this is a start, a first step, with the confidence that there is a very long beautiful road ahead, and we will follow you. The jury was touched by a film that could be an ode to the countryside, but is above all an ode to love. A coming-of-age in which characters lift each other up and support each other in the choices they make, instead of constantly trying to send each other down a different path. It was refreshing to see how a conflict doesn't always have to be dramatic, and how missing and longing carries not only pain but also beauty. The physicality, visual style and performances are so well balanced, a beautiful dance that shows the human being at its smallest and most honest. It is a proposal for a possible world, for a love without fear and trust in the present and the future. And thanks to the lack of strong political and social statements, it is political, and social. But besides all that, we are convinced that it’s one of the best films we’ve seen this festival. Despite I mentioned a first step in the beginning, this is already a very High Jump. Congratulations on your award for best debut, Lennert Madou