Religious affiliation or nationality seem to be of no importance at CERN. Nevertheless, the film shows in a most convincing manner how the search for the meaning of life unites the scientists even into the smallest particle. The film succeeds in picturing the human being behind science in a humorous way and at a high level. At the same time the film shows those human beings in an unexpected religious context.
Visions du Réel 2018
Festival International de Cinéma
13.04.2018 to 21.04.2018
Nyon
Sesterce d'Or: O Processo (The Trial), by Maria Augusta Ramos (© Visions du Réel, Maria Augusta Ramos)
On April 13, the Festival Visions du Réel 2018 in Nyon opened. It is dedicated to the broad spectrum of documentary film and its overlap with fictional forms of cinema. The festival presented 174 films from 53 countries in its various sections, 17 of them in the International Competition for long films. From them, the Interreligious Jury selected its winner. Their prize, worth CHF 5,000, was awarded for the 14th time.
The jury chose the Italian-French-Belgian coproduction "Almost Nothing" by Anna de Manincor and the artist collective ZimmerFrei. The film portrays the scientists of the European Research Center CERN in an idiosyncratic way. A Commendation went to "Storie del dormiveglia" (Stories of Half-Light), a poetic film about homeless people by Luca Magi. The main prize of the festival, the Sesterce d'Or, was awarded by the international jury to "O Processo" (The Trial) by Maria Augusta Ramos who filmed the impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Roussef. "When Arabs Dance" by Jaouad Rhalib about the essential elements of Arab culture beyond Islam won the Audience Award.
In addition to the national competition and the competition for medium and short films, the new artistic director Emilie Bujès created a fourth competition section entitled "Burning Lights" dedicated to new forms of filmic expression. The opening film was "Of Fathers and Sons" by Talal Derki, which shows the everyday life of the family of the founder of an al-Quaida branch in Syria. It was programmed in the "Grand Angles" section, which shows outstanding films from other festivals and the coming year. The honorary prize of the festival went to French filmmaker Claire Simon.
Link: Festival website
Awards
Directed by:
2018
Stories of the Half-Light
Directed by:
2018
The poem-like film, at a high aesthetical level, gives the human beings who are nearly voiceless a voice and gives them back their dignity.
