“Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten” triumphs in Nyon
30.04.2009
The Swiss-German coproduction “Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten” by Vadim Jendreyko (production: Mira Film, Basel) was honoured with three awards from three different juries at the 15th Visions du Réel International Film Festival in Nyon (April 23-29, 2009) and won monetary prizes amounting to a total of CHF 20,000. Sarah Derendinger also won an award for her film “Familientreffen – Marthaler Theater im Grand Hotel” (Freihändler Filmproduktion, Basel) which was screened in the Swiss Film competition; the award was endowed with 10,000 CHF. In addition, the Canadian-Swiss film director Peter Mettler was honoured with the Young Audience Award, amounting to CHF 3,000, for his 40-minute film “Petropolis – Aerial Perspectives on the Alberta Tar Sands”.
Three different festival juries presented “Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten” with awards: the International Jury with the Prix Special SRG SSR idée Suisse, amounting to CHF 10,000: the Swiss-Film Jury with the Prize of Suissimage/SSA, also amounting to CHF 10,000; and the Interreligious Jury with a special mention. The film “Die Frau mit den 5 Elefanten” was chosen for the Prix Special SRG SSR idée Suisse - Visions du Réel because of “the impressive way the literary translation becomes a metaphor for life itself. This brilliant biographical portrait tells the story of a young girl who survives many trials during the Second World War, and through her love of reading and knowledge of languages goes to great creative heights. This insightful woman’s deep connection to Dostoyevsky’s novels is eloquently revealed through the film’s close observation.”
The Swiss Film Jury explained ist selection of Sarah Derendinger’s “Familientreffen – Marthaler Theater im Grand Hotel” for the Prize of the George Foundation (10,000 CHF) for the best Newcomer Film as follows: “It is an invitation to a strange family celebration. In a magical and worrying décor, we participate in a ritual that will never take place again. The poetry of the film blends with that of theatre and singing. It is not a personal account of the preparation of a show, but a creation in itself, driven by that of Marthaler and his ensemble.”
Zurich, April 30, 2009
The Swiss Film Jury explained ist selection of Sarah Derendinger’s “Familientreffen – Marthaler Theater im Grand Hotel” for the Prize of the George Foundation (10,000 CHF) for the best Newcomer Film as follows: “It is an invitation to a strange family celebration. In a magical and worrying décor, we participate in a ritual that will never take place again. The poetry of the film blends with that of theatre and singing. It is not a personal account of the preparation of a show, but a creation in itself, driven by that of Marthaler and his ensemble.”
Zurich, April 30, 2009