Kassel Prize Winners announced
14 November 2011: Yesterday's award ceremony marked the climax of the 28th Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival. During the exciting finale, the four festival prizes were awarded. As is tradition, the film night was opened by a selection of short film highlights from Kassel, among them the works of two of the awardees.
A first résumé of the six festival days was more than positive: more than 11,800 visitors, among them 550 accredited professional guests, enjoyed the multifaceted festival program.
The award winners:
The Golden Key for the best documentary work by young talents, endowed with a prize money of 5.000 ¤ and supported by the city of Kassel, went to Work Hard – Play Hard by Carmen Losmann. The jury finds: "In Work Hard – Play Hard Carmen Losmann allows us to dive into the depths of the modern working world (...). Her conclusive access to the subject, which is approached from different perspectives, is highly convincing. The outstanding camera work and precise editing contribute to the development of a filmic language which keeps an observing distance but at the same time illustrates the author's position."
An honorary mention went to Půlnoc (Midnight) by Klára Tasovská. As the jury stated, "Klára Tasovská dares to approach a complex subject – the darkness, which she enters herself. We were impressed by the courage of the film to experiment , to ask questions and to take the liberty of leaving them unanswered."
The Golden Hercules honors an outstanding production from Northern Hesse. The prize is endowed with 2.500 ¤ and is donated by the Machbar GmbH. This year's prize went to the animated film Andersartig (Different). The jury says: "Dennis Stein-Schomburg narrates (...) in four moving minutes the life of Hildegard Wohlgemuth before and during the war. (...) The authentic voice-over by the old woman and the impressive images together form a small and at the same time big masterpiece."
An honorary mention went to Benjamin Pfitzer for his feature film George Schmitzki. From the jury's statement: "Benjamin Pfitzer manages to set off the (seemingly) futile dream (of his protagonist). A path with many obstacles (...). But then the tables turn, and the realization wins that trust, faith and friendship can overcome any handicap. (...) The cast's great acting skills, with no exceptions, as well as a scenography highly intent on details complete the picture."
The A38-Production-Grant scholarship went to Léo Médard for his film Tao m'a dit… (Tao told me...). The jury states that "the starting point or idea of the film is a search for the deeper meaning of life. (...) What he finds is a modern metropolis that does not show its soul behind the constant rush and modern technology. (...) Here, a young filmmaker dares to access a complex subject. He took the risk of making an essay film and did not fail. A difficult topic finds a reflective filmic execution while renouncing precocious lecturing." The scholarship offers 4.000 ¤ for travel and living costs and is supported by the LPR Hessen and the Mediananstalt Sachsen-Anhalt. It is awarded in cooperation with Werkleitz – Centre for Media Art where the awardee is offered allowance in kind of up to 4.000 ¤.
An honorary mention went to Josephine Links for Wir sterben (We Die). From the jury's statement: "Josephine Links creates a private, sensitive insight into the world of thoughts of a person at the end of her long life. The filmmaker documents in a very tender way her relationship to her grandmother, who suffers from Parkinson's. Her intimate images deeply touch the viewer with their visual aesthetics.(...) The filmmaker succeeds in conveying the subject of dying with dignity and much warmth."
The Golden Cube for the best installation of the Monitoring exhibition is donated by Micromata GmbH and endowed with 2.500 ¤. The prize went to La ruine du regard / Die Ruine des Blicks by Anu Penannen. From the jury's statement: "The video installation (...) uses the Parisian shopping and cultural center Les Halles as a starting point for an architectonic as well as anthropological examination. (...) The jury especially liked the handling of the social reality of the place, the precise observations and the translation into the exhibition space (...)."
Ryota Kuwakubo received an honorary mention for his installation The Tenth Sentiment. As the jury states: "How can we display reality without the use of a camera? By turning the light itself into a camera Ryota Kuwakubo turns not only the room itself but also the observer located in that room into an image carrier. The jury responded enthusiastically to this stirring work which was staged using reduced means and the highest efficiency (...)."
The jury statements as well as pictures and information regarding the awarded works can be found here.
All winning films will be screened again at the BALi Kino on Saturday, 19 November 2011.
The 29th Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival will take place between 13 and 18 November 2012.
A first résumé of the six festival days was more than positive: more than 11,800 visitors, among them 550 accredited professional guests, enjoyed the multifaceted festival program.
The award winners:
The Golden Key for the best documentary work by young talents, endowed with a prize money of 5.000 ¤ and supported by the city of Kassel, went to Work Hard – Play Hard by Carmen Losmann. The jury finds: "In Work Hard – Play Hard Carmen Losmann allows us to dive into the depths of the modern working world (...). Her conclusive access to the subject, which is approached from different perspectives, is highly convincing. The outstanding camera work and precise editing contribute to the development of a filmic language which keeps an observing distance but at the same time illustrates the author's position."
An honorary mention went to Půlnoc (Midnight) by Klára Tasovská. As the jury stated, "Klára Tasovská dares to approach a complex subject – the darkness, which she enters herself. We were impressed by the courage of the film to experiment , to ask questions and to take the liberty of leaving them unanswered."
The Golden Hercules honors an outstanding production from Northern Hesse. The prize is endowed with 2.500 ¤ and is donated by the Machbar GmbH. This year's prize went to the animated film Andersartig (Different). The jury says: "Dennis Stein-Schomburg narrates (...) in four moving minutes the life of Hildegard Wohlgemuth before and during the war. (...) The authentic voice-over by the old woman and the impressive images together form a small and at the same time big masterpiece."
An honorary mention went to Benjamin Pfitzer for his feature film George Schmitzki. From the jury's statement: "Benjamin Pfitzer manages to set off the (seemingly) futile dream (of his protagonist). A path with many obstacles (...). But then the tables turn, and the realization wins that trust, faith and friendship can overcome any handicap. (...) The cast's great acting skills, with no exceptions, as well as a scenography highly intent on details complete the picture."
The A38-Production-Grant scholarship went to Léo Médard for his film Tao m'a dit… (Tao told me...). The jury states that "the starting point or idea of the film is a search for the deeper meaning of life. (...) What he finds is a modern metropolis that does not show its soul behind the constant rush and modern technology. (...) Here, a young filmmaker dares to access a complex subject. He took the risk of making an essay film and did not fail. A difficult topic finds a reflective filmic execution while renouncing precocious lecturing." The scholarship offers 4.000 ¤ for travel and living costs and is supported by the LPR Hessen and the Mediananstalt Sachsen-Anhalt. It is awarded in cooperation with Werkleitz – Centre for Media Art where the awardee is offered allowance in kind of up to 4.000 ¤.
An honorary mention went to Josephine Links for Wir sterben (We Die). From the jury's statement: "Josephine Links creates a private, sensitive insight into the world of thoughts of a person at the end of her long life. The filmmaker documents in a very tender way her relationship to her grandmother, who suffers from Parkinson's. Her intimate images deeply touch the viewer with their visual aesthetics.(...) The filmmaker succeeds in conveying the subject of dying with dignity and much warmth."
The Golden Cube for the best installation of the Monitoring exhibition is donated by Micromata GmbH and endowed with 2.500 ¤. The prize went to La ruine du regard / Die Ruine des Blicks by Anu Penannen. From the jury's statement: "The video installation (...) uses the Parisian shopping and cultural center Les Halles as a starting point for an architectonic as well as anthropological examination. (...) The jury especially liked the handling of the social reality of the place, the precise observations and the translation into the exhibition space (...)."
Ryota Kuwakubo received an honorary mention for his installation The Tenth Sentiment. As the jury states: "How can we display reality without the use of a camera? By turning the light itself into a camera Ryota Kuwakubo turns not only the room itself but also the observer located in that room into an image carrier. The jury responded enthusiastically to this stirring work which was staged using reduced means and the highest efficiency (...)."
The jury statements as well as pictures and information regarding the awarded works can be found here.
All winning films will be screened again at the BALi Kino on Saturday, 19 November 2011.
The 29th Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival will take place between 13 and 18 November 2012.