Commendation of the Ecumenical Jury, Montreal 2009

The film received the Montreal Festivals major award, selected by an international jury chaired by Iranian director Jafar Panahi. The film is set in World War II Occupied France. It focuses on a large Gypsy family which travels through France to find work. The family remains for a time in a village, working in the vineyards, as is their custom, only to discover that a new law has been passed that forbids them from continuing their nomadic existence. They are befriended by a wealthy land owner who gives him part of his farm on which to live. This allows them to stay within the law prohibiting their traditional nomadic existence. Director Gatlif, 61, has developed a reputation as a cinema specialist in Roma (Gypsy) life and culture. He currently lives and works in France.