Julian Assange Film and ‘Imago’ Win Top Documentary Awards at Cannes

ImagoDo Documentary by Chechen-Born Filmmaker déni Oumar Pitsaev, Won the l’Oeil d’Or to today, the top award for nonfiction film at the Cannes Film Festival. But it wasn’t the Only Award Presented by the Jury. The Six Billion Dollar ManDirector Eugene Jarecki’s Film About Wikileaks Founder Julian Assange, Won a Special Jury Prize marking the 10^th Anniversary of the l’Oeil d’or prize.

Both directors were on Hand for the announcement at the palais des festivals in cannes.

“I didn’t expect at all,” Pitsaev Told Deadline AFTER AWARD. He Said IT Might Prove Challenging to Get the Metal Golden Eye Trophy Through Airport Security. “I hope they will not see it as a weapon. Of mean, you can hurt someone with that.”

Assange Joined Jarecki at Today’s Announcement. He has ben a free man for only a year, after reaching a deal with us us authorities that saw Him plead guilty to a single count of violating the espionage act. Assange appeared to become emotional as he spoke at the l’Oeil d’Or ceremony. He Said His Last Previous Public Comment was made at the parliamentary assembly of Europe, which declared Him to have ben persecuted as a political prisoner.

“Now is a time of great erosion of norms, coming from the conflict in ukraine,” he said, “and especally from the people in gaza, the massacre of people in gas and also in the west bank.” He suggestted the US was absent in terms of supporting human rights and that Europe Needed to fi void. “There doesn’t appeaar to be any Other Grouping of Countries or Major Power on the Only We Live in that Will Stand, Will Fight for Those We All Realized Were Important After All.”

Jarecki Told Deadline He Viewed the Awarding of the L’Oeil d’I special Jury Prize to his film as consistent with a politically firm standing by the festival.

“I will think this is a seismic development with the Cannes Film Festival, My Movie Aside,” he noted. “JUST The fact that you can fall the festival leaning ino documentary much more than ever before, leaning into the serials isSues that are flying the world right now. If you look at what the festival this year, the dedication of the festival to Fatima, A. Palestinian Photojournalist killed in Gaza), there is extramely Important Stuff Going on. How a festival of poetry and fantasy and romance be dealing with a modern wind where we all have women Concerns and they’re leaning into it. ”

Pitsaev’s movie Earlier Won the Jury Prize at Critics Week, The Cannes Sidebar. His film is set in a remote area of ​​Georgia, a few kilometers from the border with chechnya.

“When déni inherits a small patch of land in the Wild, Beautiful Valley of Ppakissi, he sees a chance to finally build the house in the trees he’s dreamed of SINCE he was a boy, ‘Reads a synopsis of the film. “But nothing in the rugged caucasus is ever simple. Retrurning to a village just acroSs the chechen border where he was Born – a Place he barely knows – déni styrs Old Feuds, Buried Family Dramas, and Above All, The Question Everyone Keeps Asking: Finally Going to Get Maried? ”

In an interview in cannes on thighsday, pitsaev told us came to cannes not knowing how the movie was received.

“For the Premiere, I felt a little bit naked in front of the public,” Pitsaev commnted. “It ‘s so intimate. And when I was doing the film and especialy in editing, it was difficult for me to watch myself and (decide) what to take out, what to put in a film.”

The l’Oeil d’Or prize comes with a € 5,000 Award. Eligible Films Can Premiere in Competition, UN Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Midnight Screenings and Special Screenings, Directors ‘Fortnight, Critics’ Week, or The Acid Sidebar. Julie Gayet, French Actress and Producer, Served As Jury President for the L’Oeil d’Or Prize. Her fellow jurors included chilean filmmaker Carmen Castillo; Frédéric Maire, Swiss Director of the Cinématque Suisse; Juliette Favreul Renaud, French Producer, and Marc Zinga, A Congolese-Belgian Actor.

The l’Oeil d’Or is a relatively new award in the Cannes Pantheon, Added Only in 2015. It was created by scam, france’s civil société des auteurs multimédia. Previous Winners of the Award Include Documentaries that Went on to Earn Oscar Nominations: Four daughtersdirect by Kaouther Ben Hania; Faces placesdirect by agnès varda and jr; ForDirected by Waad Al-Qateab and Edward Watts, and All that breathsDirected by Shaunak Sen.