The awards of the 20th edition of CPH:DOX were handed out March 24, with the main prize going to Belarusian filmmakers Alexander Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka for Motherland. The film looks at modern-day post-Soviet Belarus from the perspective of the country’s youth.
The festival describes Motherland as “a dark and monumental film from Belarus, where corruption and a brutal military culture push young people to choose sides. With eminent camerawork and an intimate knowledge of the culture, ‘Motherland’ is one of those rare films that manages to encapsulate a crucial point in history while it is still unfolding. It’s a film that reaches far beyond the country’s borders and analyses the post-Soviet condition from a perspective rarely seen: that of the young people.”
ALL THE WINNERS AT CPH:DOX 2023
● Dox:Award: MOTHERLAND by Alexander Mihalkovich & Hanna Badziaka (Sweden/Ukraine/Norway). Citation: “This was such a cinematic and meaningful film that took its time unfolding the complexity of living within an oppressive and unjust system. It poses questions about the idea of an individual choice within a cornered society. The title of the film is a way to give back the power to the women who are at the forefront of this fight.” Special Mention: ON THE EDGE by Nicolas Peduzzi (France)
● F:act Award: SEVEN WINTERS IN TEHERAN by Steffi Niederzoll (Germany/France). Citation: “This film is artfully crafted – from the visual language to editing style, we are impressed by the filmmaker’s creative vision and ability to execute. It’s emotional but never sensational. It tells a tragic story but yet allows us to witness the warmth and resilience of human nature. It not only shows the courage of individuals standing up against systemic abuse and violence but also reminds us that even deaths can’t defeat one’s will to fight.” Special Mention: THE HOSTAGE TAKERS by Puk Damsgaard & Søren Klovborg (Denmark)
● Nordic:Dox Award: MRS HANSEN & THE BAD COMPANIONS by Jella Bethmann (Denmark). Citation: “Compassion is a virtue which is often evoked without recognizing the core of its essence: true empathy. This masterful film details a lead subject that emplifies this ideal through their tireless work, thoughtful candor, and openness to the simplicity of life. Furthermore, its control of its editing pace and the humanity given to its characters remind us to never forget, ‘the toys that others don’t want to play with.’” Special Mention: LYNX MAN by Juha Suonpää (Finland)
● New:Vision Award: AN ASIAN GHOST STORY by Bo Wang (Netherlands/Hong Kong). Citation: “The winning film is a story told about presences haunting a city for its complex cultural, economical and sociopolitical histories that resonate in the city today. The wig becomes a phantom limb, an amputated part of the body that exists beyond human life and, unlike many people, has the privilege of traveling across borders, and living multiple lives. Exploring the liminality of the living and the dead, the film stages various oral histories, from factory stories to therapy sessions to karaoke. Impeccable, sophisticated and [told] with great wit.” Special Mention: THE SECRET GARDEN by Nour Ouayda (Lebanon) Special Mention: PACIFIC CLUB by Valentin Noujaïm (France/Qatar)
● Next:Wave Award: QUEENDOM by Agniia Galdanova (USA/France). Citation: “Urgent and Political, this award goes to a powerful and intimate coming of age story about an Outsider within her family and her country. With exquisite gentleness and outstanding visual beauty, the film quietly builds upon itself, ultimately crescendoing into a loud and expressive rebellion and rallying cry against a brutal regime and its attempts to violently control and intimidate both young and old generations. In this present moment, it’s impossible not to recognize the bravery of both the protagonist and the filmmaker. This film will remain a breathtaking and striking reminder of arts role in speaking truth to power.” Special Mention: THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS by Benjamin Mullinkosson (China/USA)
● Politiken:DOX Award: APOLONIA, APOLONIA by Lea Glob (Denmark). Citation: “This year’s Politiken:Dox goes to a film that continues to grow and leave its mark and live on in the audience long after the credits have rolled. It has been in the making for more than over 13 years, and along the way it changed both shape and direction, just as the art merged with the artist – both the one who is portrayed and the one who held the camera. It could have turned into nothing, but instead it became a magical, organic portrait of a certain time, of female artists, of the practice of documentary filmmaking, or in short one could even say a portrait of life. Lea Glob’s ‘Apolonia, Apolonia’ is clever, feminist, touching and sprawling documentary filmmaking at its very best.” Special Mention: THE MOUNTAINS by Christian Einshøj (Denmark)
All the award-winning films will be screened in cinemas in Copenhagen on March 27 and 28, 2023.
