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LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) -DURBAN – "The Reportage on Sarah and Saleem", directed by Muayad Alayan, won the best picture of the 39th edition of Durban Intl. Film Festival, which ended Saturday night with a awards ceremony at the Suncoast Cine Center Complex
The film tells the story of the political ramifications of an extramarital relationship between a Palestinian and an Israeli woman. Variety has described it as a "tense psychosocial drama."
In a pre-recorded message from Jerusalem, Alayan offered his thanks to the audience in South Africa – a country, he said, "that we Palestinians hold a very special place in our hearts "- while dedicating the prize to" all the filmmakers of this world who fight all forms of injustice with their films and their art. "
The prize punctuated a DIFF whose edition 2018, "said Lliane Loots, speaking on behalf of the Center for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which runs the festival
" There has been a particular focus on women's voices. .. and other marginalized identities have found a platform to be heard.The object has offered wonderful levels of controversy and harsh criticism, as well as a fierce dialogue. "[19659002] She continued, "Spaces for artists … are places of controversy. push boundaries and push tolerance. Remember that none of us will agree on what is good, bad or even mediocre about what is included or excluded. But I am grateful that we are all with one heart. "
This was a rallying cry for a festival that has been facing a leadership crisis in recent years, and which has received a when the director of the DIFF, Chipo Zhou, has been Hospitalized a few weeks before the opening night, Toni Monty, director of the Durban Film Office, was widely praised for this year, while balancing his responsibilities at the helm of the Durban FilmMart's success
. week in Durban, Monty was resolutely turned towards the future of the DIFF, telling Variety that "there will be positive news in the coming months that will give confidence to the industry that things are moving forward in a positive direction. "
Loots' last words remind us that a festival born out of the anti-apartheid struggle remains an essential platform for South African filmmakers The DIFF festival needs to survive to support and feed and to promote the critical voices of filmmakers in our country. "
The festival was closed with the first South African of" Rafiki "by Wanuri Kahiu, whose world premiere took place in Cannes, Un Certain Regard this year.
Still on Saturday night, Award for Best South African Feature Film went to "High Fantasy", directed by Jenna Bbad and produced by David Horler and Steven Markovitz.The jury presented it as "a unique film that we found surprising and stimulating" , while celebrating it "for its originality and innovative spirit in the cinematographic approach."
Best documentary at "New Moon" produced and directed by Philippa Ndisi- Hermann, described by the jury as "a poetic documentary , well edited and introspective, "whose director" bravely presents himself as the central subject that many women in today's cynical and hectic world can perfectly understand. "
Best Documentary Award south Afr icain went to "Sisters of the Wilderness", directed by Karin Slater and produced by Ronit Shapiro, "a film that dares to get off the beaten path of traditional documentary by exploring the wild cinematic nature". according to the jury's quote.
(Edited by Bill Tarrant)
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