Valuing the independence of mind, originality and quality of filmmakers, the 73rd Jean Vigo Prize has been awarded to Louise Hémon for The Girl in the Snow [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] with the following explanation: "The jury was highly responsive to this film which took them on a journey through time but which also gave them perspective, a film about the power of female desire, torn between the blinding white of the snow and the candlelight of its interior frames. A film both modest and extreme, in which one particular response would undoubtedly have pleased Jean Vigo: Revolution won’t happen without a little bit of sugar".

This is the 10th time in the history of the Jean Vigo Prize that a woman director has won the title, with Louise Hémon notably joining the ranks of Jean-Luc Godard, Maurice Pialat, Alain Resnais, Claude Chabrol, Bruno Dumont, Olivier Assayas, Noémie Lvovsky, Patricia Mazuy, Katell Quillévéré, Laurent Cantet, Xavier Beauvois, Alain Guiraudie, Mathieu Amalric, Alice Diop and Louise Couvoisier (honoured last year – read our news).

Produced by Take Shelter in co-production with Arte France Cinéma, The Girl in the Snow is the young (30-year-old) director’s first feature film. Unveiled back in May in the Directors’ Fortnight and sold worldwide by Kinology, the movie will be released in French cinemas on 24 December by Condor Distribution.

Meanwhile, the Honorary Jean Vigo Prize was handed to Chinese documentary-maker Wang Bing this year, while the Jean Vigo Prize for Best Short Film went to David Ingels’ Bel Companho (produced by Andolfi).