30/04/2009

Switzerland’s unmissable Visions du Réel International Documentary Film Festival closed yesterday in Nyon, honouring a selection of original and fascinating works.

This year, the different categories screened over 140 films, by both young, up-and-coming filmmakers and renowned directors, including Peter Mettler, Peter Liechti, Lech Kowalski, Thomas Heise, Avi Mograbi, Claire Simon, Jos de Putter, Sergey Dvortsevoy, Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige.

Quebec-born director Richard Brouillette’s Encirclement: Neo-liberalism Ensnares Democracy won the festival’s Grand Prize. Meanwhile, Jawad Rhalib’s Belgian/Moroccan production The Damned of the Sea received the City of Nyon Audience Award and Kazuhiro Soda’s magnificent Mental (Japan/US) picked up the Interreligious Jury Award.

The two major winners of the Regards Neufs competition were Georgiev Atanas’ Cash and Marry (Austria/Macedonia) and Jiska Rickels’ Babaji, an Indian Love Story (Netherlands).

Swiss productions were not outdone: Vladimir Jendreyko’s Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten scooped the Suissimage/Society of Swiss Writers SSA Prize and the SRG SSR idée suisse Award, while the George Foundation Prize went to Sarah Derendinger’s Familientreffen - Marthaler Theater in Grand Hotel. Jean-Stéphane Bron’s film Traders, about the boxing matches between Wall Street bankers, also made a strong impression at Nyon.

This 15th edition also hosted numerous debates and professional meetings, including a round table on documentaries for the web, an international pitching and One-on-One Meetings between producers and buyers.

The Doc Outlook-International Market attracted around 871 professionals – 20% more than last year. The positive results are completed by an increase in attendance and number of accredited visitors.