The 19th Geneva International Oriental Film Festival (FIFOG) took place from June 10 to 16 in Geneva. The theme of this year’s edition was Knowledge and Recognition of the Other. It was chaired by Lebanese writer Joumana Haddad.
This year’s edition was a great success, marked by many emotional moments. Festival-goers rediscovered the joy and pleasure of watching a wide variety of films, and exchanging ideas with filmmakers, actors and journalists from all over the world.
A rich program celebrating the Other
This year’s edition featured 45 films, including 16 directed by women and 35 by men. Some forty guests took part in this new crop. Various debates, exchanges, artistic performances, meetings and educational screenings also took place, helping to create opportunities to get to know and recognize the Other. Evenings devoted to Tibetan and Afghan cinema particularly moved festival-goers and served as a reminder of the importance of respect for human dignity.
The three juries underlined the quality, originality and relevance of the films selected. Indeed, the subjects tackled, sometimes dramatic, sometimes poetic, show the complexity of relations between East and West, and remind us of the need not to forget certain tragedies, such as those affecting Afghan women and all peoples fighting for their freedom and dignity.
AWARDSFEATURE FILM COMPETITION
The jury for the International Feature Film Competition is made up of the following members: Laure Mi Hyun Croset (South Korea – writer), Haifa Mrizek (Tunisia, France – actress), Mina Sidi Ali (Algeria, Switzerland – writer), Mustefa Laribi (Algeria – actor) and Mano Khalil (Kurdistan, Switzerland – director).GOLDEN FIFOG, “TAKE MY BREATH” by NADA MEZNI HAFAIEDH
“The Jury unanimously decided to award the FIFOG D’OR to “TAKE MY BREATH” by Nada MEZNI HAFAIEDH. A film that deftly handles a delicate, taboo subject, as well as the acting, set design and soundtrack. An excellent reflection of Tunisian culture.”SILVER FIFOG, “THE LIFE OF A SNOWFLAKE” by KAZIM ÖZ
“A subtle film about issues of identity that have yet to be raised, as well as for its virtuoso temporal construction and impressive cinematography.”SPECIAL MENTION: BEST ACTRESS, for Amina BEN SMAIL in “TAKE MY BREATH”.SPECIAL MENTION: BEST ACTOR, for Sunaj RAQA in “SILENCE OF SIRENS”SPECIAL MENTION: QUALITY OF SUBJECT TREATMENT, for “DIARIES FROM LEBANON”
SHORT FILMS COMPETITION
The jury for the International Short Film Competition is made up of the following jurors: Joumana Haddad (Lebanon, France – journalist, poet), Fredj Trabelsi (Tunisia – director) and Joud Saïd (Syria – director).GOLDEN FIFOG, “SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN” BY DAHLIA NEMLICH.
“This film stands out for the originality of its script, its good acting direction, its fine camerawork, its excellent technique and its rhythm that harmonizes with the psychology of the characters.”SILVER FIFOG, “ORIGIN” DE LODEN.
“For the originality of its story, the unity of its style and the manipulation of a hand-held camera that produced images at the service of a metaphysical story.”JURY’S SPECIAL MENTION, “PALESTINE ISLANDS” BY NOUR BEN SALEM & JULIEN MENANTEAU.
“For the strong emotions it arouses and its reminder of the interminable wait for a free Palestine.”
SCHOOL COMPETITION
The school jury was made up of a hundred students from classes at the Cycle d’Orientation de Cayla (Teachers: Laetitia Poscia, Lalanantenaina Zafimahery, Tahar Houchi, Sacha Krief, Davide Vité), the Centre de formation professionnel technique (Teacher: Catherine Luthy), the Lissignol integrated reception class (Teachers: Jean-Marc Baehler, Isabel Sasilva-Ferreira) awarded the SCHOOL AWARD to:“TORN” BY JAHFAR MUATAZ
“TORN captivated the students with its beautiful shots, tension and silences. They were sensitive to the heartbreak of the young teenager torn between two Eastern and Western countries and cultures.”COMPETITION PRIX JEUNESSE #CINE
The youth jury, made up of young people aged between 14 and 20 from the #cine association (a Geneva-based non-profit organization that promotes cinema by and for young people), awarded the #CINE YOUTH AWARD to:“PALESTINE ISLANDS” by NOUR BEN SALEM & JULIEN MENANTEAU
“ The film is profound and intelligent. It moved us to tears. The script is original and well-crafted. We were all deeply moved by this family story, representative of the Palestinian people’s desire to regain their land. The magnificent acting influenced our decision. The content was perfectly matched to the form, leaving the viewer free to fully feel the emotions aroused by the film.”A SPECIAL MENTION was awarded to “MY GIRL FRIEND” by KAWTHAR YOUNIS.
“ This beautiful short film touches us with its youth-related themes: self-discovery and gender. Far beyond the clichés we see, this film poses many questions that challenge us. The musical and aesthetic choices make it dynamic, sensitive and fine.”
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