The prizes of the 4 competitive sections of the 12th edition of SiciliAmbiente have been announced: international documentaries, short films, animated films, and feature films. The prizes were awarded by the jury composed of Violante Placido, Fulvia Caprara and Agostino Ferrente.
The Best Documentary Award went to Brazilian director Iara Lee’s Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration after Apocalypse (Ukraine, USA). The documentary about Chernobyl, almost thirty years after what was probably the worst nuclear accident in history, was awarded “for its ability to reveal the surprising realities that can hide under the tragic veil of one of the most frightening environmental disasters of recent history. Mixing the tones of sociological investigation with the charm of a science fiction-flavored narrative, “Stalking Chernobyl: exploration after apocalypse” perfectly hits the main objective of the documentary genre, that is, to tell stories, letting the images speak. No comments are needed to underline how far the madness of men can go, ready to compete in the most senseless challenges, convinced that they are always the strongest and, for this very reason, destined for self-destruction “.
The Second Prize, ex-aequo, went to “Golden fish, African fish” (Senegal) by Thomas Grand and Moussa Diop, presented in Sicilian preview “for the ability to tell, without aesthetic idealization, but with great taste for framing and musical commentary, the story of the harrowing work of the fishermen of Kafountine as they drag their nets, of the porters carrying the crates of fish from the boats to the shore, of the women and men who smoke it in ground ovens and of those who grind the rest into flour. A poetic gaze that investigates an anthropological change and that recalls the one with which our Vittorio De Seta painted on the screen the bodies, the looks, the voices, the sacrifices, the hopes, the fears, the humility and the dignity of fishermen, miners, shepherds, peasants of the archaic world of Southern Italy ”.
And Susan Kucera’s Living in the Future’s Past (USA), also in Sicilian premiere because “it is a film that explores the causes and cultural consequences of climate change. With extraordinary photography and an exceptional narrator like Jeff Bridges, the film shows us how the human species driven by the desire to consume, travel and spread, does not notice or ignore the threats that such behaviors have on our planet. Progress too often has devastating effects on our environment and threatens our existence. The perspectives appear rather complex, but the film manages to get the message across that if we change our behavior we can change the world for the good. ”
The Audience Award, established for the first time this year for the international competition for fictional films, goes to Ciro Formisano’s The Exodus.
The Amnesty International Italia Special Prize, dedicated to human rights, went to Sophie and Clemente Guerra’s The Condor and the Eagle (USA) as an Italian premiere. For the jury “The great merit of The Condor and the Eagle is to be able to give us an unprecedented, broad and varied vision of the struggle of American native or marginalized communities in the name of an ideal of justice and dignity for themselves and for the environment. From Canada to South America we discover, or and are passionate about, the battle of native communities seemingly so far away; but when taking a closer look, however, their commitment also represents inspiration, reflection and an invitation to action for us.
Special mention Amnesty International Italia for La sangre de la tierra (Nicaragua / Spain) by Félix Zurita de Higes presented at the festival in world premiere “for the exciting and engaging story of the native communities of Central America who fight with determination and exemplary courage to defend land and water from the assaults of greedy and ruthless speculators ”.
The Greenpeace Italy Award went to Golden Fish, African Fish because “it is as much a documentary with powerful images as it is a careful reconstruction of the economic system that revolves around traditional fishing in Kafountine, Senegal. A human mass concentrates in what is described as the last productive stretch of sea in West Africa, because the surrounding waters have been depopulated by industrialized fishing. “Golden Fish, African Fish” has the merit of truth: the two directors recognize the strength of the stories they tell and accompany them with discretion and talent, in a sort of immersion where sounds and smells (even if only evoked … ) matter as much as images and words. An epic representation of the struggle of men and women for survival in a continuously degrading environment, accelerated by the industrialized robbery of natural resources ”
The AAMOD Award went to Watt the Fish by Dorian Hays & Emerick Missud, presented as an Italian premiere because “it is a film that was able to tell a” border struggle “by bringing out its more general dimension and the theme of natural resources. as a “common good” to fight for ”.
For short films, the best short film award went to Somewhere on Planet Earth by Silvia Zeitlinger (Italy, Algeria) presented in world premiere, with the following motivation: “What is a short if not the fulminating synthesis of an idea, of a story, a warning? “Somewhere on planet earth” perfectly answers the questions related to the use of the short film. A small simple story, told with irony and intelligence, reaches straight to the heart and mind of those who follow it. Without paraphrases, without delays, without high-sounding messages. Two bananas instead of one. It is enough to understand that there is no need to consume beyond what is necessary to continue living in harmony on a planet which, with different inhabitants, would have remained wonderful. ”
The Second Prize went to Driving Lessons by Marziyeh Riahi (Iran) in Sicilian preview with the following motivation: “The film with a strong imprint of the best Iranian cinema (the reference to the cinema of Panahi is evident) tells the story of Bahareh, a young girl who, according to Iranian law, must have a man among her relatives who accompany her to driving lessons, so as not to be alone with the male instructor. With a dry and essential style, he gives us a taste as Panahi himself would say, of “A cinema that tries to stay beyond good and evil, a cinema that does not judge, nor surrender to power but tries to honestly reflect an image realistic society “.
The TTPixel Award, which consists of 4 color correction rounds and the printing of 1 DCP master, was awarded to Ethiopia: Daily Fight for Recycling by Luigi Baldelli.
For animations, the first prize went to Le Silence de la Rue by Marie Opron (France) as an Italian premiere, because: “In a poetic way, the film shows us how our psyche is often suffocated by urban everyday life, made up of smog, stress , and, above all, of loneliness. The relationship with Nature, in the sense of being part of it and becoming one with it, is represented almost as a process capable of restoring brightness to our soul, making it rediscover the sacredness and beauty of the world “.
The Second Prize went to Navajo Tales, The Stars by Dallin Penman (USA) in Italian premiere because “in the name of safeguarding the mythologically rich Navajo culture, the film makes us reflect on the role that nature and animals have always played in our mythologies, to the point of educating us on the beauty of the universe, which, without the help chaos (represented here by the coyote), would never have come to light. Chaos and order, Creator and created, have always and forever been in continuous dialogue ”.
SiciliAmbiente Film Festival, directed by Antonio Bellia, with the organizational direction of Sheila Melosu, has historically been realized thanks to the support of the Sicilian Region, Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment – Sicilia Film Commission, as part of the Sensi Contemporanei project. and from MiBACT. It is promoted by the Municipality of San Vito Lo Capo, by Demetra Produzioni and the cultural association Cantiere 7, with the collaboration of ARPA Sicilia, Amnesty International Italy, Greenpeace Italy and AAMOD.
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