A documentary focusing on life in rural Egypt as revolution rages a world away in Cairo has taken the top prize at year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival.
Anna Roussillon’s film Je suis le peuple (I Am the People) was presented with the Feature Documentary Award at the DOXA closing gala on Sunday (May 10).
The jury was united in their admiration for Roussillon’s debut feature.
“Intimate, funny, and immersive, the film allows us to witness the unfolding events of the Arab Spring and its aftermath through the eyes of a peasant farming family living in a small village near Luxor,” stated jury members Roger Evan Larry, Randy Lee Cutler and Adam Cook of the winning film. “It is documentary storytelling at its most compelling and empathic, truly a triumph.
Cain’s Children by Marcell Gerö, which looked at juvenile murderers imprisoned for most of their lives, was given an honourable mention.
“The film offers a graceful and moving contemplation of the aftermath of trauma and guilt,” said the jury.
The Short Documentary Award went to Dan Popa’s film Island and Flight, with an honourable mention given to Charlie Tyrell’s I Thought I Told You to Shut Up!!
Kevin Nikkel’s film On the Trail of the Far Fur Country was awarded The Colin Low Award for Canadian Documentary.
“The film evokes a nostalgia for the time while reflecting on our complicated past in a well-paced and technically accomplished film,” stated the jury of their decision. “This is a sensitive and optimistic exploration of two cultures, First Nation and European, then and now.”
An honourable mention was also given to Cliff Caines’ film, A Rock and a Hard Place.
The Nigel Moore Award for Youth Programming was given to Victoria Lean’s debut documentary After the Last River, which had its world premiere at DOXA. Jury members Steven Hawkins, Anna Hetherington and Jacob Saltzberg also gave an honourable mention to Jerry Rothwell’s How to Change the World.
• Missed out on DOXA? Well you’re in luck! Best of DOXA, a selection of films that sold out at the 2015 festival runs May 23-24 at The Cinematheque. Visit DOXAFestival.ca for more info.
