Lugano human rights film festival: the best film is promised spaces

Context

In brief

• Best Film Winner: Promised Spaces by Ivan Markovic
• NGO Award assigned to Effondrement by Anat Even
• Audience Award to Trop c'est trop by Elisé Sawasawa

Key facts

• Festival: Human Rights Film Festival Lugano
• Winning work: Promised Spaces
• Winning director: Ivan Markovic
• NGO Award: Effondrement (Collapse)
• NGO Award director: Anat Even
• Audience Award: Trop c'est trop
• Audience Award director: Elisé Sawasawa

The award ceremony of the Human Rights Film Festival Lugano has taken place, a prominent cultural event that saw the triumph of films committed to social, geopolitical and environmental themes. The main work that won the recognition as Best Film is 'Promised Spaces' by Ivan Markovic, a cinematographic work positioned halfway between fiction and documentary and set in contemporary Cambodia. The official jury that decreed the victory was composed of producer Gudula Meinzolt, active between Switzerland and Germany, film curator and programmer Dimitris Kerkinos, from Greece, and director Robin Petré, originally from Denmark. The jury expressed a detailed motivation to award the feature film, emphasizing how the work manages to create an extraordinary atmosphere of a dystopian society. The film addresses with great mastery the clash between different contexts and social classes, proposing itself as a hybrid work capable of inviting the viewer to a deep reflection on the current state of human relations, without imposing unambiguous or simplistic messages. The film also prompts consideration of how human action interferes with nature, transforming entire ecosystems into places rendered unrecognizable. The aspects of alienation that run through the entire visual narrative are further reinforced by a particularly careful and rigorous compositional and visual approach. For enthusiasts wishing to catch up on the viewing, the film is scheduled for a rerun at Cinema Iride. The cultural event continues to represent an important point of reference for the debate on human rights and major global issues within the Ticino city and regional context, attracting audiences and industry professionals from various regions and offering an international showcase for documentary and fiction cinema committed to addressing the most urgent and complex contemporary social issues.

Operational details

Alongside the main award assigned to Ivan Markovic, the jury and partner organizations of the festival have conferred other important official prizes that enrich the balance of this edition of the Lugano film event. The prestigious NGO Award was assigned to the work 'Effondrement' (Collapse), a film directed by Anat Even. Once again for this edition, the recognition was granted with the support and participation of Amnesty International Switzerland. The jury tasked with evaluating the works for this specific section was composed of Larissa Mettler, acting as co-president of the Executive Committee of Amnesty International Switzerland, alongside RSI journalist Moira Bubola and historian and journalist Jean-Marie Banderet. The official motivation released by the jury emphasizes how the voices and images within the film blend together in a way similar to the pieces of a puzzle, uniting different experiences and perspectives to bear witness to the moral collapse of a society at the moment when its own army carries out an action of systematic annihilation. The film was shot near the Gaza Strip after the date of October 7, 2023, capturing the remains of the kibbutz of Nir Oz, from which the population had been evacuated, and the destruction of the region beyond the border, with the aim of telling the story of the profound trauma generated by war and violence. A rerun screening is also scheduled for 'Effondrement' at Cinema Iride, thus offering a further viewing opportunity to the public interested in the international geopolitical and humanitarian themes addressed by the festival.

Key points

The Lugano event also paid great attention to the feedback and direct participation of spectators, culminating in the awarding of the Audience Award. This recognition went to the work entitled 'Trop c 'est trop', a film made by director Elisé Sawasawa. The film focuses its attention and narrative on the ongoing armed conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, documenting in particular the dramatic events related to the fall of Goma. The choice of the public confirms the sensitivity of the festival's spectators towards the humanitarian crises that are less told by the mainstream media but of dramatic global relevance. The programming of the Lugano Human Rights Film Festival is therefore confirmed as a central moment of cultural deepening, offering through screenings and debates with directors and experts a unique opportunity to discuss fundamental rights, the protection of natural ecosystems and the documentation of contemporary conflicts. The exhibition, through its different competitive and informative sections, continues to consolidate its role in the Ticino cultural scene, enhancing cinema as a tool for social investigation, historical testimony and promotion of civil and international awareness.

Source: laregione.ch