Mr. Nobody Against Putin triumphs at Les Arcs
- The documentary by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin wins the Crystal Arrow, Little Trouble Girls wins the Jury Grand Prize and I Swear receives the Audience Award and an acting award

Victory at the 17th Les Arcs Film Festival for Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Borenstein
film profile] by the duo of Denmark-based American David Borenstein and Russian Pavel Talankin, which won the Crystal Arrow awarded to the best film by the jury (chaired by Dominik Moll, alongside Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Monia Chokri, Damien Bonnard and Dom La Nena). A Special Jury Award winner at the Sundance Film Festival and among the 15 titles shortlisted for the upcoming Best Documentary Oscar, the film also scooped the Best Original Music Award (composed by Michael Rataj and Jonas Struck). With international sales handled by DR TV, it will be released in France on 7 January by Loco Films.
The Jury Grand Prize went to Little Trouble Girls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Urška Djukić
film profile] by Slovenia’s Urška Djukic. Unveiled in the Berlinale’s Perspectives section, the film will be released in France on 11 March by ASC Distribution.
An acting award went to the duo Robert Aramayo and Scott Ellis Watson for I Swear [+see also:
film review
interview: Kirk Jones
film profile] by English filmmaker Kirk Jones (unveiled in Toronto and a major box-office hit in its home country), which will open in French cinemas on 8 April via Tandem and also won at Les Arcs the Audience Award and the Youth Jury Award.
The second acting award honoured Slovak actor Milan Ondrík for his performance in Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tereza Nvotová
film profile] by his compatriot Tereza Nvotová (well received in Venice’s Orizzonti – French release on 1 April via Epicentre Films).
Also among the winners were Hungary’s Gergely Pálos for the cinematography of Silent Friend [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ildikó Enyedi
film profile] by his compatriot Ildikó Enyedi (Best Young Talent Award in competition in Venice, and opening in France on 1 April via KMBO) and Maspalomas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aitor Arregi and José Mari …
film profile] by Spain’s José María Goenaga and Aitor Arregi (Best Actor in San Sebastián – French release on 24 June 2026 via Epicentre Films), which received the Cineuropa Award.
The winners:
Crystal Arrow
Mr. Nobody Against Putin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: David Borenstein
film profile] - David Borenstein (Denmark/Czech Republic)
Jury Grand Prize
Little Trouble Girls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Urška Djukić
film profile] - Urška Djukic (Slovenia/Italy/Croatia/Serbia)
Acting Award
Milan Ondrík - Father [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tereza Nvotová
film profile] (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Poland)
Robert Aramayo, Scott Ellis Watson – I Swear [+see also:
film review
interview: Kirk Jones
film profile] (UK)
Best Original Music
Michael Rataj, Jonas Struck – Mr. Nobody Against Putin
Best Cinematography
Gergely Pálos - Silent Friend [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ildikó Enyedi
film profile] (Germany/France/Hungary)
Other awards
Audience Award
I Swear - Kirk Jones
Cineuropa Award
Maspalomas [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Aitor Arregi and José Mari …
film profile] - José María Goenaga and Aitor Arregi (Spain)
Youth Jury Award
I Swear - Kirk Jones
Les cinglés du cinéma Award
Three Goodbyes [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] - Isabel Coixet (Italy/Spain)
Short Film Award
Beyond Silence – Manie Blok (Netherlands)
Special Mention
Dieu est timide – Jocelyn Charles (France)
High-school Students’ Short Film Award
Extermination d’animaux de compagnie – Mikkel Storm Glomstein (Norway)
(Translated from French)
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