The Award for the Best Film of the One World in Brussels goes to Está Todo Bien
Published: May 2, 2019 Reading time: 3 minutes
13th edition of the One World Festival in Brussels knows it’s best film. The festival jury composed of human rights organizations representatives chose documentary film Está Todo Bien by director Tuki Jencquel. The film covers the collapse of the healthcare system in Venezuela through personal stories of people affected by the ongoing crisis. The special mention of the jury goes to Novaya by Askold Kurov.
Director Tuki Jencquel received the Award for the Best Film at the closing ceremony of the festival on Tuesday, which concluded six days of screenings and debates on human rights violations from nine countries around the world.
More than three million people fled Venezuela and tens of millions others were fundamentally affected by the current situation in the country caused by deep political crisis. The topic resonated not only with the festival jury, but also within the audience who came for the screening of the film in the Cinema Galeries. The debate after the screening raised questions about possibilities for specific help in the country and highlighted the need to support the civil society as well as the necessity for free and democratic elections. Venezuelan activist Aixa Armas, whose organization Mujer y Ciudadania, promotes civic participation and women's rights, also contributed with her powerful speech.
STATEMENT OF THE JURY
AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM: ESTÁ TODO BIEN
The winning film is instrumental in raising awareness about a current issue while stressing the importance of economic and social rights (including the right to healthcare) as basic human rights. Despite the geographical distance, the film offers parallels to the current situation in European countries, where the right to healthcare becomes a matter of politicization. The jury also appreciated the intense humanity and the dignified way in which the film follows the characters through their illness and empowers them to be the main actors of their own documented story and of the change that the country needs. The daily reality of the lives featured in the film brings the story close to a European viewer. Combined with a high-quality filmmaking and the engaging form of representation, it is an urgent and powerful film.
The jury also appreciated new film by Askold Kurov, Novaya, from behind the scenes of the influential independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Since 2000, the editorial office of Novaya Gazeta was three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and has during the same time lost six journalists who were murdered for their investigative work and relentless search for relentlessly for inconvenient truths. The screening opened a debate on contemporary press freedom in Russia. Contributions to the debate were made among others by Russian journalist David Frenkel, focusing on political protests and politically motivated cases, and the director of the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis Alexander Verkhovsky.
STATEMENT OF THE JURY
SPECIAL MENTION: NOVAYA
The jury of One World in Brussels 2019 appreciates the sobriety with which the film depicts the dramatic dilemmas and personal sacrifices for the freedom of speech made on daily basis by the journalists of Novaya.
The members of the Jury of One World in Brussels 2019 were:
Adam Shapiro (Front Line Defenders)
Alex Mik (Fair Trials)
Elena Crespi (International Federation for Human Rights)
