Intercepted and Republic are the big winners at this year’s Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM). The documentaries won the Grand Prizes for national feature and international feature, respectively, in the awards handed out last night.
Directed by Oksana Karpovych, Intercepted offers a portrait of Ukraine amid Russia’s illegal invasion using covertly recorded phone calls of Russian soldiers matched with images of the devastation they have caused. “Without losing sight of its intentions, convictions and without losing its edge, this powerful film maintains a rare balance, both formally and thematically,” remarked the jury in a statement. “It reveals the brutal consequences of an invasion, as well as the human and social dramas that in wartime are the lot of the majority. Intercepted makes tangible the actual situation in Ukraine, while revealing something about contemporary Russia.” The jury gave a special mention in the national feature competition to Archéologie de la lumière directed by Sylvain L’Espérance.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jin’s Republic, a co-production between Singapore and China, tells the story of a young men who turns his small room into a haven for music lovers and an escape from the stress of authoritarian rule. “Republic captures the restless dreams and defiant spirit of Beijing’s youth as they forge a communal utopia within the tiny, vibrant space of their self-declared Republic, challenging the political and social constraints that surround them,” said the jury in a statement. “The intimate, immersive cinematography brings the viewer directly into the room, transforming the confined setting into a boundless world of collective imagination, resistance and the pursuit of freedom.” A special mention in the international feature competition went to To Our Friends by Adrián Orr (Spain/Portugal).
The prize for Best International Short or Medium-Length Film went to Maryam Tafakory’s Razeh-del (Iran/UK/Italy) with Lei Lei’s Break no. 1 & Break no. 2 (China) receiving a special mention. The Canadian-Palestinian-Lebanese co-production A Stone’s Throw, directed by Razan AlSalah, won Best National Short or Medium-Length Film with Sous le soleil exactement by Noa Blanche Beschorne getting a special mention as well.
Other winners included Ninan Auassat: We, the Children, director Kim O’Bomsawin’s portrait of Indigenous youths, which took the Magnus Isaacson Award. The film also screened as the closing night selection of RIDM. At All Kosts received a special mention. The New Visions Award, meanwhile, went to the Spanish production The Undergrowth, directed by Macu Machin, with the French-Canadian co-production Up the River with Acid by Harald Hutter receiving a special mention.
Billy, directed by Lawrence Côté-Collins, won the Student Jury Award, while Lisa Jackson’s Wilfred Buck won the Women Inmate Jury Award and Emboîter leurs pas by Manuel Orhy Pirón won the Soirée de la relève Radio Canada Award. Finally, festival circuit favourite No Other Land continued its strong run by netting the People’s Choice Award. The doc directed by the collective of Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, and Hamdan Ballal is a longitudinal study of the genocide in Palestine and the Israeli army’s ongoing efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians. The film is considered a frontrunner in this year’s Oscar race.
