At the international level, a new generation of European filmmakers is emerging who produce films without tradition and who grapple with the issues of today’s youth such as sexuality, the coronavirus pandemic and the uncertainty about the future.
Three films recently awarded prizes at the Zurich Film Festival are perfect examples: “A Chiara” by the Italian Jonas Carpignano, who received a Fortnight Award for Directors at the most recent film festival in Cannes; “La Mif” by the Swiss artist Fred Belive; and “Youth Tobia” by Dennis Stormer and Marissa Mayer.
Following the critically acclaimed 2015 immigrant film Mediterana, Chiara follows the story of a 16-year-old girl in southern Italy who faces the ruthless Calabrian mafia world of ‘Ndrangheta, which she is bravely trying to “decipher” and their family’s activities. .
The jury was particularly shocked by what they called a “modern interpretation of neo-traditional Italian realism”.
Carpignano was awarded the prestigious Golden Eye at the 17th Zurich International Film Festival, which ended on October 3rd.
Switzerland also experienced a heyday: Frédéric Bailif’s La Mif not only won the Golden Eye in the Focus competition – an award reserved only for the best films from Switzerland, Germany or Austria – but also the Ecumenical Film Prize.
“La Mif” is a heartbreaking investigation into the child welfare system in French-speaking Switzerland, drawing a blurred line between documentary and fiction.
Bailif’s social drama takes place in a nursing home where a group of girls from broken families meet and try to find a new one.
Belev, a former social worker, has been working with his protagonists, a team of natural actors who live in a Geneva nursing home, for more than two years.
The director also allowed teenage girls to participate in the script, which contributed to the fantastic performances.
Dennis Stormer and Marisa Meier won the audience award with their debut film “Youth Topia”, which was presented at the world premiere.
Youth Topia, a German-Swiss film about today’s youth, tells the story of young people who are frustrated and nostalgic about adolescence, especially during an epidemic.
Not only are the three films European, but they also show the daily lives of modern heroines, honest and grateful women who question the norms of the societies in which they live in order to uphold their ideals.
Sharon Stone, Pamela Abdi, Paolo Sorrentino, Michael Dana and Paul Schrader also received honorary awards.
The list of winners is as follows:
Fantasy competition
gold eye
- “A Chiara” – Jonas Carpignano (Italy / France / Sweden / Denmark)
special instructions
- Jockey – Clint Bentels (USA).
- White Cow Song – Bahtash Saniha, Maryam Moghadam (Iran / Frankreich).
Dokumentarfilmwettbewerb
gold eye
- “Ivana’s Life” – Renato Boraio Serrano (Russia / Norway / Finland / Estonia)
special instructions
- – “Soybean Libre” – Laure Portier (France / Belgium).
- – “Sabaya” – Hogir Herori (Sweden)
Focus competition
gold eye
- “The Fam” – Fred Belev (Schweiz)
Special hint
- “Behind the headlines” – Daniel Andreas Sakr (Germany).
ZFF children’s competition
jury prize
- “The Wolf and the Lion” – Gilles de Maistre (France / Canada)
Other prices
Audience award
- “The young Tobias” – Dennis Stürmer (Switzerland / Germany)
Science Film Award
- “All light, everywhere” – Theo Anthony (USA).
Swiss Young Talent Award
- “Azur” – Andreas Fontana (Switzerland / France / Argentina)
Best music in a world film
- “Black Label” – Andrei Mordovsky (Spain) (short film)
After the Zurich Film Festival, which started on September 23, attracted 102,000 visitors this year – 50% more than last year and much more than expected – it ended on October 3 on a very positive note.
“Many filmmakers were able to present their films to a real audience in the cinemas for the first time and are shaped by their encounters with the viewers,” says Christian Youngen, artistic director of the ZFF.
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