Donbass takes top award in Seville

Ray & Liz and M also among winners

by Jennie Kermode

Donbass
Donbass Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival

Sergei Loznitsa's portmanteau exploration of the civil war in eastern Ukraine, Donbass, has won the Golden Giraldillo at Seville European Film Festival, which wraps up tomorrow.

The official jury - actress/producer Nerea Baros, executive director of the Michigan Theater Foundation Russ B Collins, European Film Awards producer Marion Döring, producer Inés Nofuentes and director Jonás Trueba - said: "The film achieves an exquisite mix of fiction film form and documentary film feel. The excellent cinematography provides a creative and clear view of the relentless tragedy of the 'fog of war'. Writer/director Sergei Loznitsa effectively balances the horrors of violent armed conflict, plus the animus of nationalist posturing, with an affecting and watchable story on a relatable human scale.

The Grand Jury Award went to UK photographer and artist Richard Billingham for his directorial debut Ray & Liz, which the jury described as "creatively crafted and finely observed".

The Best Director Award went to Yolande Zauberman for M for her chronicle of childhood sexual abuse in a closed orthodox Jewish community in Israel, while the Best Screenplay Award was given to Milorad Krstic and Radmila Roczkov for animation Ruben Brandt, Collector.

The acting prizes went to Joy Anwulika Alphonsus for her role as a trafficked sex worker in Joy and, jointly, to Vincent Lacoste and Pierre Deladonchamps for Sorry Angel.

The full list of awards is below:

  • Golden Giradillo Donbass, Sergei Losznitza
  • Grand Jury Award Ray & Liz, Richard Billingham
  • Best Director Yolande Zauberman, M
  • Best Actress Joy Anwulika Alphonsus, Joy
  • Best Actor Vincent Lacoste and Pierre Delandonchamps, Sorry Angel
  • Best Cinematography José A Alayon & Víctor Moreno, Hidden City
  • New Waves Section Best Film (selections in this category by the Camp_US jury) Shéhérazade, Jean-Bernard Marlin
  • New Waves Special Award Samouni Road, Stefano Savona
  • Award to the Artistic Contribution to the Cinematographic Language Raiva, Sérgio Tréfaut
  • The New Waves_Non Fiction Best Film (decided by Samuel Fernández, Ula Stöckl and Nanako Tsukidate) Extinção, Salomé Lamas
  • Endless Revolutions Best Film Award (decided by Dejan Petrovic, Eva Peydró and Amber Wilkinson) A Violent Desire For Joy, Clément Schneider

  • Deluxe Special Awards aimed at some of the Spanish directors who participate in the following sections: Official, New Waves or New Waves/Non_Fiction. This award is worth the creation of a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) Master for his/her next feature film project:
  • New Waves La Estrella Errante, Alberto Gracia
  • Endless Revolutions <3 María Antón
  • Special mention In Memorian, Marcos M Merino
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