The feature film jury of the 44th Cinéma du Réel Festival (composed of Eva Sangiorgi, Annette Dutertre, Françoise Romand, Alessandro Comodin and Bernie Goldblat) has crowned Dry Ground Burning [+leggi anche:
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Interestingly, the section’s Special Mention was won by Rafiki Fariala’s We, Students! [+leggi anche:
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The Institut Français - Louis Marcorelles Award, bestowed upon the best film in the French selection, was handed to the French-German co-production Crossing Voices (Xaraasi Xanne) by Raphaël Grisey and the much missed Bouba Touré. Based upon rare archive material exploring the exemplary Somankidi Coura venture - a farming cooperative founded in Mali in 1977 by immigrant workers from West Africa living in dedicated accommodation in France - this documentary shines a light on the brutality of colonial agriculture and the ecological challenges faced by the African continent today.

In the 9th edition of ParisDOC’s Work in Progress initiative, meanwhile, it was Guillermo Quintero’s project Río Rojo which reigned supreme. Produced by Colombia’s Roméo and France’s Stank, the film immerses us in the Serranía de la Macarena mountain range in the northern reaches of the Colombian Amazon where the legendary Río Rojo river, also known as the river of seven colours, slices its way through the middle of the forest. Young Oscar, grandmother Doña María and Indian man Sabino live in harmony with nature in the region. But this area which was once preserved by the dispute with the FARC has now become a victim of its beauty and is at risk of disappearing following the arrival of new visitors…

The full list of winners is as follows:

Cinéma du Réel Grand Prize
Dry Ground Burning [+leggi anche:
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International SCAM Award
Mr. Landsbergis [+leggi anche:
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Institut Français - Louis Marcorelles Award
Crossing Voices (Xaraasi Xanne) - Raphaël Grisey and Bouba Touré (France/Germany)

Feature Film Jury Special Mention
We, Students! [+leggi anche:
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Loridan Ivens / CNAP Prize
Acquittal [+leggi anche:
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Best Short Film
Urban Solutions - Arne Hector, Vinicius Lopes, Luciana Mazeto and Minze Tummescheit (Germany/Brazil)

Tënk Award
Domy+Ailucha: Ket Stuffi - Ico Costa (France/Portugal) (medium-length film)

Short Films and First Films Jury Special Mention
Hors-titre - Wiame Haddad (France) (short film)

Clarence Award for Best Humanist Documentary
Children of the Mist - Diem Ha Le (Vietnam)

Young People’s Ciné+ Award
Crossing Voices (Xaraasi Xanne) - Raphaël Grisey and Bouba Touré

Libraries Prize
We, Students! - Rafiki Fariala
Special Mention
Mr. Landsbergis - Sergei Loznitsa

Intangible Cultural Heritage Award
Language of Birds – Érik Bullot (France) (medium-length film)

First Window Audience Award
Early Winter – Louis Barthélémy Rousseau (France) (short film)

Prisoners’ Award
Le croissant de feu – Rayane Mcirdi (France) (medium-length film)

ParisDOC

WIP – Orlando Favourite
Río Rojo - Guillermo Quintero (Colombia/France)

Route One Award (short film projects)
À nos fantômes – Juliette Piccolot (France)
Les traces de nos luttes - Juliette Bourgoin (France)