Deblokada

When the world is full of political and ethnic conflicts, the films provides a vivid lesson of the wounds which are hard to heal from even after the conflict or the war is long over. Even though the story is based on the aftermath of the particular civil war, atrocities and ethnic cleansing in former Yugoslavia, the film could be read as a warning to what happens if people forget basic human values. At the same time, it gives hope that former mortal enemies can reconcile and psychological wounds can be healed.

George Gund III Memorial Central and Eastern European Competition

The theme of this year’s edition of the Bratislava International Film Festival was the art of film acting. The jury was unanimous in its choice for Best Film with a film where the ensemble of actors displayed such an intense emotional and inspirational level of acting in dealing with a tragic historical event. We also found it important to emphasize that the film’s main message of reconciliation was so necessary in today’s current political climate.

Italian: Per la capacità di innovare poeticamente la lezione umanista del cinema iraniano, tramutando il soffocante clima atmosferico in un sole femminile che irradia empatia e speranza a ogni latitudine.