A Polish director has won the first prize for the best film at Flahertiana festival

The international jury judged the entries to the documentary film festival “Flahertiana-2014”.

The Grand Prix for the best film of the festival (the Big Golden Nanook, the main award of Flahertiana), 250,000 rubles and the FIPRESCI Silver Nanook award were presented to Maciej J. Drygas (Poland) for the film Abu Haraz. The international jury and the FIPRESCI jury were unanimous in selecting this film, a documentary about the construction of a dam on the Nile and its impact on the small village of Abu Haraz. The film-maker lived in the village for several years while observing and documenting the daily lives of the village’s inhabitants.

The Silver Nanook Award for Discovery of New Topics and New Heroes and a prize of 75,000 rubles went to Or Sinai for the film Violet, My Life. The Silver Nanook Award for Original Artistic Solution and a prize of 75,000 rubles were given to Thomas Balmes for the film Happiness.

The Small Silver Nanook Award for the best film in the National Competition program “Russian Flahertiana” and a prize of 25,000 rubles were presented to Vladimir Gerchikov for the documentary Fiddler’s Songs. Mumin Shakirov won the diploma for the best scriptwriter (for the film Holocaust – Is That Wallpaper Glue?), while Svetlana Bychenko was awarded the diploma for the best director (for the film Brothers and Birds).

Around 10,000 people attended the screenings at the Premier Cinema Center and Perm’s universities as well as a side program of workshops and lectures. According to Pavel Pechenkin, President of the Festival, the event attracted a record number of visitors.