21e Festival international Signes de Nuit - Paris / 29 Septembre - 8 Octobre 2023
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Ramazan Kilic |
Turkey / 2023 / 0:16:00 |
A little girl tries to put a smile back on her grandmother’s face after the disappearance of her television, her only window on the world.
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Jury Declaration:
A captivating film that delves into timely subjects such as ethnic discrimination and gender empowerment, Things Unheard Of skillfully intertwines the relationships between different generations within a Kurdish community. It not only features actors who bring depth and authenticity to their roles, making the characters relatable, but also presents an important social commentary by incorporating non-verbal communication, thus creating a touching homage to the power of storytelling.
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SIGNS AWARD
The Signs Award honors films, which treat an important subject in an original and convincing way
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Ahmad Alyaseer |
Jordan / 2022 / 0:11:04 |
A father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing their deceased transgender daughter, but when no one agrees to wash her, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?
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Jury Declaration:
Our Males and Females explores the themes of identity and societal boundaries by delving into the experiences of transgender individuals. It sheds light on their challenges and victories, while capturing the strength of parental love through its rich and radiant cinematography. By bringing new meaning to the term “Médecins sans frontières", it also prompts us to contemplate the everyday rituals we engage in and compellingly examines the resilience and diversity of the human experience.
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NIGHT AWARD
The Night Award honors films, which are able to balance ambiguity and complexity characterized by enigmatic mysteriousness and subtleness,
which keeps mind and consideration moving
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Carlos Segundo |
Brazil / 2022 / 0:14:00 |
In Uberlandia, Brazil, Chico earns his living fixing ovens, in which he easily fits into thanks to his small size. Marginalized by a system that values him as a misfit, he begins to start resisting it.
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Jury Declaration:
By depicting the lives of marginalised individuals from the lower class, Big Bang sheds light on the challenges and prejudices experienced by these communities in our modern society. This makes the film highly relevant and timely. The camera adopts a unique perspective by filming Chico, a man with dwarfism, at eye level. This effectively dehumanises the unsympathetic characters who would otherwise be seen as "normal" and highlights the mistreatment that the main character endures. The film skillfully incorporates subtle social critique in every frame, leading to a powerful climax and a captivating final shot that captures the absurdity of social discrimination.
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EDWARD SNOWDEN AWARD
The Edward Snowden Award honors films, which offer sensitive (mostly) unknown information, facts and phenomena of eminent importance, for which the festival wishes a wide proliferation in the future
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Milosz Jan Sawicki |
Polen / 2023 / 0:17:00 |
Ukrainian brothers Liosza and Dmytro live and work in Poland. When news of the outbreak of war in Ukraine reaches them, each brother will eventually have to make a decision; return to their home country or remain in safety in Poland. .
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Jury Declaration:
War causes a complete shift in reality. Polish director Milosz Jan Sawicki explores the novel feelings and beliefs that arise in ordinary people who are affected by it. Visually compelling, deep, touching, with an excellent use of language for character development, the film explores the personal intricacies of the Russian war in Ukraine, with an unexpected glimpse of cruelty by Russian soldiers.
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SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR THE EXCEPTIONAL TREATMENT OF A TABOO SUBJECT
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Naz Caybasi |
Turkey / 2023 / 0:10:39 |
One day, a girl living in a village sees blood on her panties. She’s having menstruation, but she doesn't know what it is. She hesitates to ask someone and tries to discover on her own. She finally finds an answer, but that answer is only the part of the cycle she’s in.
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Jury Declaration:
We are pleased to present the Special Jury Award to "Cycle" for its outstanding portrayal of the sensitive topic of female menstruation. The film approaches the subject matter with a blend of seriousness and lightheartedness, complemented by remarkable performances from the entire cast and stunning cinematography. Through the eyes of a young girl in a rural setting who encounters blood on her underwear, the film takes us on a journey of curiosity and self-discovery as she seeks to understand the reason behind it. In doing so, it explores not only the menstrual cycle but also the broader cycle of life.
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Guillermo García López |
France / 2023 / 0:15:55 |
La Cañada, Europe's largest slum on the outskirts of Madrid, has been without electricity for over a year. In the firelight, Toni, a 13 year-old boy, discovers that his best friend Nasser is leaving forever. Amongst Roma legends of a possible future, Toni looks for a way to stay connected to him.
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Jury Declaration:
The poetic "Aunque es de noche" follows two young boys living in the slums of Madrid, who make art in their free time. The portrayal of beauty and art as the source of happiness for these boys, who make the best out of their dire situation, is contrasted by everyday challenges and a dramatic discovery. This impeccable short film explores and reflects human relationships, building tension through the excellent use of editing and sound, enchanting and captivating the viewer as the story progresses.
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Theo Vincent |
France / 2023 / 0:20:29 |
The Bois de Vincennes. The ruins of a colonial exposition building where strange voices and old images slumber that no one wants to revive. Yet Moussa has only one obsession: to keep close to him his friend whose lifeless body has returned to Senegal.
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Jury Declaration:
An exquisite examination of the grieving process, "Mémoires du Bois" excavates traditional African beliefs in order to shed light on the relationship between two good friends. The border between life and death comes alive in the largest public park in the city of Paris through photography and ghosts. Like finding shade on a hot summer day, Théo Vincent’s film captures an openness for exploring historical injustices in one’s own way, and shows us, despite our decreasing faith in the power of superstition, that spirituality and modernity often go hand in hand. |
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MENTION FOR THE SIGNS AWARD
The Signs Award honors films, which treat an important subject in an original and convincing way
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Thanasis Trouboukis |
Greece / 2022 / 0:16:33 |
As a mountainous village in Greece sinks under the lake, the memories of its inhabitants emerge from the water.
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Jury Declaration:
While wildfires and floods continue to ravage parts of Greece today, Thanasis Trouboukis’ film uniquely tackles the topic of climate change by exhibiting beauty that, at moments, becomes too extreme to bear. The final scene of a leafless tree half-submerged in water, catching fire without a word of warning, serves as a ruthless reminder of the speed at which the very nature we love is turning into mere memories. Much like the flammable celluloid on which it was shot, Under the Lake is a timeless portrait of our impermanence on Earth.
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MENTION FOR THE SIGNS AWARD
The Signs Award honors films, which treat an important subject in an original and convincing way
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Sonny Baez |
United Kingdom / 2022 / 0:24:22 |
A divorcing couple plays a match of tennis for the custody of their daughter.
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Jury Declaration:
Nobody is entirely good or bad, especially in human relationships. With its surprising, unexpected, and innovative portrayal of a divorced couple fighting - or better yet, playing - for the custody of their daughter, "Don't Choke" illustrates the multifaceted aspects of a relationship and makes the viewer reflect on societies´prejudices regarding divorce. The excellent rhythmic editing ensures that the viewer is captivated from start to finish.
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Director Statement:
This film is a surreal metaphor of my own experience and memories from when I was a child during my parent's divorce. My hope is that audiences can relate to this conflict and reflect on the collateral and direct damage divorce can make in people's lives, particularly on the children's lives.
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MENTION FOR THE NIGHT AWARD
The Night Award honors films, which are able to balance ambiguity and complexity characterized by enigmatic mysteriousness and subtleness,
which keeps mind and consideration moving
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Karim Azimi |
Iran / 2023 / 0:13:20 |
Some immigrants by the sea are waiting for them to cross the sea. A young couple with other immigrants are going to the light of the world, but they have problems when their child is born. "Survivor" of human migration from dangerous sea borders, who risk their lives just to have a normal and free life. In 2022, more than 3,000 people have lost their lives at sea borders..
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Jury Declaration:
As poet Warsan Shire has written "no one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore". The film Survivor shows us the harsh reality that thousands of people face every day: having to give up their entire lives in order to have a chance at a safe and free life. It is a complex film with tough dilemmas handled by the director with wonderful subtlety and a realism that is a punch in the gut for the viewers.
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MENTION FOR THE NIGHT AWARD
The Night Award honors films, which are able to balance ambiguity and complexity characterized by enigmatic mysteriousness and subtleness,
which keeps mind and consideration moving
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Raining Grace or Thanks to the Rain
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Chryssa Florou |
France / 2023 / 0:10:00 |
On a rainy day, in a confessional, a woman unexpectedly closes an important chapter of her life.
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Jury Declaration:
How can someone deal with an unexpected encounter with "the one that got away" and how can they cope with the unanswered questions that they have been left with? Chryssa Florou´s film attempts to answer these questions, cultivating mystery and keeping the viewer´s curiosity alive throughout the film about the relationship between the two main characters, thanks to the clever way in which it is shot. The film Raining Grace or Thanks to the Rain is an intelligent and profound portrayal of human relationships and the impact they have on our lives, even long after they have ended.
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MENTION FOR THE EDWARD SNOWDEN AWARD
The Edward Snowden Award honors films, which offer sensitive (mostly) unknown information, facts and phenomena of eminent importance, for which the festival wishes a wide proliferation in the future
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Alizhan Nasirov |
Kyrgyzstan / 2023 / 00:24:00 1 |
This film tells the story of a young, 22-year-old doctor who decided to work in a valley with severe climate conditions, where no other doctor agreed to work.
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Jury Declaration:
Mesmerising landscapes of Kyrgyzstan became the canvas of Alizhan Nasiro´s docufiction. "A Medic" expands one´s worldview with the most subtle poetry of unknown ordinary life in rural Kyrgyzstan, where doctors are a rarity.
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