ex aequo

ex aequo

For his outstanding performance.

For his outstanding performance.

For the visionary athmosphere in the film.

Tied with The Masseur (2005). Unanimously.

Tied with Les états nordiques (2005). Unanimously.

By the majority of the jury.

A well researched classical documentary depicting the tragedy of Seceso three decades ago thus showing us a rare case of personal responsibility as opposed to the continuing exploitation of human beings by multi-national industries.

Because of its exhilarating rhythm, excellent editing, and the joy of those 3 Hollywood fans and their unbelievable quest of a date with Drew Barrymore.

For its reflection on society and its overall direction.

For the quality of its directing and the performance of its actors.

LA NEUVAINE succeeds in presenting simple faith with respect, acknowledging how difficult it is to believe in God in a secular world and in the aftermath of tragedy. When a young man making a pilgrimage of prayer for his dying grandmother encounters a doctor paralysed by anguish, the interaction leads not to miracles or conversion but to kindness and deep possibilities for hope.

FRATRICIDE provocatively confronts the burning European question of refugees. The setting is Germany, the people the Kurds. Yilmaz Arslan combines a complex plot about two brothers with scenes of visceral violence as well as a tender picture of caring friendship. His film is both an accusation against racism and neglect and a plea for common humanity and decency.

For the sensitivity of the representation of Lebanon today, and the footprints left behind by the war, both for the city and its inhabitants, throughout the metaphor of the oblivious, the absence and the rejection of the social surroundings.

For its enchanting observation of the complex relationships of a family, faced with the need to reaffirm a lost identity, attempts to start a dialogue.

For the originality of its narrative construction and the sensitivity of it characterisation, the interpertation of which is left to the spectator thanks to an implied story.

For showing the increasing absurdity of a society in transition through a minimalist mise en scène.

For the great narrative power and emotion flowing through the strength of a rising nation.

The Jury is happy to announce it unanimous decision to award the CICAE Prize of the International Locarno Film Festival to Japanese filmmaker Nabuhiro Suwa's French Film Un Couple Parfait. This work is a universal reflection on the life of a couple, which is sensitive, complex and far from all clichés (the framework, the lighting, the duration, the actors, the dialogue). Finally, as with all great cinema,the work gives the spectator an active role and freedom of interpretation.

For the intensity with which it delves into the women's stories : all different but all similar. Pure emotion heightened by the format of 12 minute shots for each one. A presentation of nine female characters at crucial moments of their existance. We enter the personal lives of these women and exit just as the tension is at its height, to then enter another world. The consequence of these interruptions, ties even more to these stories. The casting is also excellent.

A film, full of energy, refreshing and pleasurable, which tackles important social themes in a light-handed manner. The intertwining of music and comedy conspire to make a mixture of irony and gravity which distance it from known models. The music and choreography give the film a stylish sophistication that backs up the splendid performance by Monica Cervera. The direction reveals a great technical skill.

Two young people escape their native Turkey for a better life but come up against the same problems that forced them to leave their native country: principally that of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. The violence that breaks out is not justifiable but also cannot be condemned. The profound message of the film is this : the impossibility to draw a line between what is right and what is wrong. The director puts this complex problem under the lens, without sentimentality and with a sustained rhythm. The non-professional actors understood how to express the pain, pushing the spectator to reflect on these themes.

A stupefying psychological investigation into madness and the desire to possess the life of another. The fantastical setting is imbued with poetic images. An original attempt to transfer «a magical realism » onto the screen through a sophisticated and intriguing symbolism capable of stimulating the imagination of the spectator. The constant obssesion with trying to imprison eternity raises a deep philosophical reflection, sustained with excellent photography constructed out of games of light and colour.

For the skill with which the director takes the spectators into an imaginary, fantastical and alternative world. It is a contemporary fairytale loaded with symbolism, which recalls the poetry of the past without becoming nostalgic. All of this is thanks to the fascinating and magic cinematography, designs and music, as well as the excellent performance by Stephanie Leonidas.

For the immense courage, intellectual honesty and cinematic strength with which it reveals the absurdity of an unjustified war in which innocent people pay the highest price.

For the originality of its narrative construction.

For the humour and intelligence with which she tackled the complexity of contemporary South African society.

For its caustic humour and its tender vision of childhood.

For its audacity and allegorical force of its proposal.

For its humanity and its undeniable technical and artistic quality.

For the intensity of its message. In this film, the director knew, in a correct and simple manner, how to associate words and images. The choice of fixed camera allowed the sensitivity of the text to speak for itself.

For the sophistication of composition and for how it illustrated the daily life of an elderly person, with simplicity, sensitivity and tenderness. Above all, it touched on the relationship between protagonist and the young nurse, who helped the former to find reason for living right up until the end.

Through his two protagonists he contrasts two worlds and two ways of life. On one side, Jeanne is disillusioned by atmosphere of death which follows her and by the austerity of the town. On the other, François, educated by his grandmother, maintains all his religious values and the simplicity linked to his native town. Nature plays a great role in this story. It represents the peace of spirit, the calm that the characters look for and that accompanies them in their pain.

For its evocative strength and the intelligence with which it tackles a sensitive subject.