23/06/2023 - German production won out in three of the seven categories at La Rochelle’s international documentary market, where Ireland, France, Australia and Afghanistan also distinguished themselves

Soprano Fatma Said, the centre of Ralf Pleger's Fatma Said – Reviving a Forgotten Treasure (© James Bort/Warner Classics)

At the close of the 34th edition of Sunny Side of the Doc, which gathered together upwards of 2,000 participants from 64 countries over the course of four days in La Rochelle (1,000 companies, 90 exhibitors and 300 international decision-makers, including leading broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors and financers, and 40 delegations notably hailing from Spain, Canada, Australia and China), the international documentary market has unveiled the full list of projects which triumphed in the seven pitching sessions.

German production stole particular focus, winning out in three categories. The project Fatma Said – Reviving a Forgotten Treasure, which is set to be directed by Ralf Pleger, triumphed in the Arts & Culture pitch. This documentary will follow famous soprano Fatma Said in her mission to save an Arabian cultural treasure which is at risk of disappearing: the stupefying work of Mohamed Abdelwahab. The History pitch singled out Vietnam – Our Voice Unheard, a documentary series set to be directed by Lucio Mollica, which will re-examine the history of this country between 1945 and 1975 from the viewpoint of the Vietnamese men and women who lived through it. Last but not least, the Impact Campaign category was won by Elke Sasse’s The Pickers, which will revolve around fruit pickers exploited in Greek, Spanish, Italian, German and Portuguese fields so that consumers have access to cheap fruit and vegetables all year round.

European production also reigned supreme in the Global Issues category, thanks to the Irish project This Is a Quiet Love (read our interview with Anne Heffernan and Seán Herlihy), which is due to be directed by the multi-award-winning Garry Keane. The same was true for the Science section, which crowned the French project Science's Forgotten People its champion, a series of short animated documentaries set to be directed by Laurence Thiriat and telling the surprising tales of eminent scientists who, despite their research and great discoveries, haven’t been recognised by their peers for specific reasons (discrimination, etc.).

The country of honour at next year’s 35th Sunny Side of the Doc (running 24 – 27 June 2024) will be Australia.

The award-winners are as follows:

Global Issues
This Is a Quiet Love – Garry Keane
Production: Curious North Productions (Ireland)

Sciences
Science's Forgotten People –Laurence Thiriat
Production: Good to Know S.A.S. (France)

Pitch Arts & Culture
Fatma Said – Reviving a Forgotten Treasure – Ralf Pleger
Production: 3B-Produktion (Germany)

New Voices
Life in the Shadows – K.D.
Production: Kamay Film (Afghanistan)

Impact Campaign
The Pickers – Elke Sasse
Production: Berlin Producers Media GmbH (Germany)

Nature & Conservation
The Kimberley - Nick Robinson
Production: Wild Pacific Media (Australia)

History
Vietnam – Our Voice Unheard - Lucio Mollica
Production: LOOKS Film & TV Produktionen (Germany)

Special awards

AIDC New Voices Talent Hub Prize
Copan - Carine Wallauer
Production: MVM Movimentos & Culturais (Brazil)

Impact Social Club - Digital Impact Prize
Right-Wing Extremism: The New Terrorist Threat - Magali Serre
Production: Roche Productions (France)

Impact Social Club - Impact Ignition Prize
The Daughter of the Volcano – Jennifer de la Rosa
Production: Auna Producciones (Spain)

Al Jazeera Documentary Channel & AJB Doc Film Festival Prize
The Rabbis’ Intifada – Heather Tenzer
Production: Gefilte Fish Films (USA)

Pitch the Doc Prize
Life in the Shadows – K.D.

Movies That Matter Prize
#SHOUT - Vinta Nanda
Production: One Life Studios Pvt. (India)

Institute of Documentary Film Prize
Divia – Hreshko Dmytro
Production: UP UA Studio (Ukraine), Gogol Film (Poland)

IMZ Prize for 6 projects selected within the Arts & Culture category
Alexina B. - Alexis Borràs
Production: Digital Films (Spain)

The Sleeper - Alvaro Longoria
Production: Morena Films (Spain)

Cerrone – Disco Legacy
Production: Bonne Pioche Télévision (France)

Shakespeare's Folio - Raffaella Rivi
Production: Kublai Film (Italy)

Fatma Said – Reviving a Forgotten Treasure – Ralf Pleger

Wifredo Lam: The Eternal Exile - Jean-Luc Bonefacino
Production: Mar Vivo Films (Hong-Kong/China)

Doc Edge Prize
#SHOUT - Vinta Nanda

The Sleeper - Alvaro Longoria

Climate Wars - Johan Gabrielsson
Production: Tremoniamedia Filmproduktion (Germany)

Wifredo Lam: The Eternal Exile - Jean-Luc Bonefacino

Student Film Crush Prize
Women of My Life - Zahraa Gandhour
Production: Karada Films (Iraq)

(Translated from French)