Winners and Special Mentions
On May 18 our Jury awarded the 5 Winners and 5 Special Mentions of Radical Democracy: European Video Challenge 2014 in Warsaw. Watch their films and read their director’s statements below, or on the Doc Next Network site.
WINNERS, each receiving an €2500 award
Ayce Kartal | Tornistan (Backward run)
‘During the Gezi Park protests, we couldn’t get any information from the main national broadcasting channels, from our newspapers, from Turkish radio. It was very tragic that we watched what was happening on our streets via live camera broadcastings from Norwegian and German TV channels. Worst of all, our elderly people who have no access to internet, couldn’t get any information from their own country. They didn’t understand what was happening, why thousands of people were out protesting, shouting and dying in their country.’
‘During the protest days, an old man came to me and asked “What is this crowd? What is happening? Did we win the World Cup?” I felt very very VERY sad, I was shocked and got very angry. That was the exact moment I decided to make a film about the press problem and the miserable situation of ordinary people in Turkey during the Gezi Park Protests.’
Andrea Casaseca Ferrer | Sinceridad (Sincerity)
‘In Spain we’re living through the worst financial crisis in history. I don’t know if it’s because of the politicians, but they are responsible. This is my ironic vision of the future when unemployment is normal. Only the “ashamed” will find a job. A job through a friend! Which doesn’t require any education! Do you know what I mean? Exactly: a job as politician and probably future leader of our country. Would you leave your life in the hands of someone who is not a doctor? Ladies and gentlemen, our future is not for play.’
John Panton | Welcome to Oxmouth
‘My film charts the stress placed on a young couple coping with the economic downturn in Europe. It is set in a small fictional town, deliberately not a city. I wanted to highlight worries about the increased corporatism pervading all levels of society and negatively effecting the identity of towns like Oxmouth. I’m concerned that there’s not enough positive open debate around these topics. I was unsure how people would react to the film – however, the Radical Democracy brief seemed the perfect opportunity to showcase the themes within the film.’
Veronica de Salvo | Italy 2013
‘I wanted to show how Italy can be in ten years time if everything gets worse. But I mostly want to wake up the young Italian generation and push them to take an active role in society – I am also part of that generation. A change is needed and we have to do something now before everything degenerates like a show in my video.’
‘And many thanks to editor and friend Stefania Vulpi!’
Stéphane Kaas | Partij tegen de Burger (Party Against Citizens)
‘This film is made to make you laugh. It’s set in Beverwijk, a little village in the Netherlands, where nothing much happens. But the film is relevant for every Western democracy. Politicians are struggling with how to act towards the public. We live in a mediacracy. They hire spin doctors and media trainers and the result is that every campaign video looks the same! It gives you the feeling politicians are acting and not telling you the truth. So we made a video in which a politician finally doesn’t make any hollow promises and tells the public the truth.’
SPECIAL MENTIONS, each receiving a €1000 award
Hande Zerkin | Democracy
‘When I think of democracy, the first thing that comes to mind is equality. Jean Baudrillard says that if we are talking about equality, there is a word hiding behind it called inequality. Terms are given a meaning and people believe it. Things are shown and people believe it. In my opinion, this way we have been watching the ghost of democracy for a very long time. I think video and remix are powerful tools to reconstruct terms like justice and transparency and build a new meaning of democracy.’
Agata Kochaniewicz, Anna Adamowicz, Piotr Grywacze, Mateusz Nowak | Boxer
‘We are the generation of transformation, one that increasingly sees politicians as selfish buffoons. Is there a way of making politics that could satisfy us? Is there any politician that we can trust with taking up the relentless fight for our case? We have found the perfect candidate for the European Parliament!’
Afra Rigamonti | La cara oculta de la libertad (The unknown side of freedom)
‘The values of individuals from other cultures can be enriching. Their experiences and knowledge shouldn’t be underestimated. Kumara’s case demonstrates there is no reason for such restrictive measures. Solidarity and cooperation are core values for our development as a civilization. It is time to reflect on the ultimate meaning of the word freedom. I hope this Europe will be some more than a golden jail, nor the next battle field.’
Terrorismo de autor | #Ocupaeldinero (#Occupythemoney)
‘Combining humour, activism and nouvelle vague, Terrorismo de Autor engages in revolutionary action that is neither violent nor peaceful, but creative. We want to restore the autonomy, desire, and life of both individuals and the collective. It may sound utopian compared to present-day democracy: benefits, consumption, and for the most people, survival.’
Jozef Pollák | Sme Europania (We are Europeans)
‘I do not want people to get comfortable “wearing paper-bags”. We have to question everything. I feel that in my country joining the EU created a false impression that just this merging act itself will straighten our economy, justice or solve other problems. Because of growing numbers of regulations controlling citizens instead of dealing with true transformations, the EU is slowly moving away from people – and people are moving away from the EU as their interest wanes. That creates space for corruption and favouring banks and corporations instead of us.’