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.
Ceasefire deserves the Ecumenical prize because of its focus on human suffering in war von Naso skillfully places the viewer directly into the situation of the protagonists Ceasefire is a timely film where the physical journey parallels the inner transformation of the characters. He challenges the audience to examine their perspective on the consequences of war and our responsibility in the face of human suffering. (It is the first feature lengthfilm of the 33 years old director.)
More about the festival
Festival films
Jury
The ecumenical award is presented annually at the Montreal festival since 1979 by a six member jury, chosen by the two international church film organizations Interfilm (Protestant and Orthodox) and SIGNIS (Catholic). This was the 31st year the Ecumenical Jury award has been awarded in Montreal. At the Montreal festival, the international organizations are represented by Interfilm-Montreal, directed by the Rev. Andrew Johnston, of Ottawa, Canada, and Communications et Societe, a member of SIGNIS, under the direction of Niquette Delage, of Montreal.
The Ecumenical Jury 2009 includes three Protestant and Orthodox film critics and scholars, and three film critics and scholars from the Catholic Church.