Right before the 64th edition of DOK Leipzig came to an end, the juries, filmmakers and other enthusiasts gathered at Leipzig’s CineStar for the unveiling of the award-winning films. Festival director Christoph Terhechte had the honour of opening the gala ceremony intended to celebrate the winners of the Golden and Silver Doves. “I am so grateful that we were able to have this in-person festival this year,” he mentioned happily right after he reminded those present of the empty theatre during last year’s lockdown.

Wei Deng’s documentary Father won the Golden Dove in the International Competition for Long Documentary and Animated Film, which comes with a cash prize of €10,000, sponsored by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. Deng couldn’t be there himself, but in a video message, he said he was grateful that film has the power to transcend countries, cultures and beliefs. The director’s first feature is a generational portrait about his father and grandfather, and it depicts tradition and change in Chinese society.

The Silver Dove in the same category was collected on stage by Karol Pałka for his first feature-length effort, Bucolic [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film]. This Polish documentary observes a mother and her daughter as they live their secluded lives in the countryside. The €6,000 award was sponsored by 3sat. The members of the jury were Grit Lemke, Anocha Suwichakornpong, Alex Szalat, Katarína Tomková and Raed Yassin.

In the German Competition, the Golden Dove went to A Sound of My Own by Rebecca Zehr, in which she follows musician Marja Burchard, tracing her father’s footsteps as the leader of the legendary Krautrock collective Embryo. She also seeks her own musical path in a male-dominated industry. The €10,000 that come with the prize were sponsored in part by Weltkino Filmverleih. The members of the jury were Carsten Möller, Gudrun Sommer and Maria Speth.

The Golden Dove in the Competition for the Audience Award, including €3,000, went to Dida [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
fiche film] by Nikola Ilić and Corina Schwingruber Ilić. At the centre of the film is Nikola’s mother, Dida, who has always been dependent on her own mum but longs for independence.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Golden Dove International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film
Father - Wei Deng (China)
Honourable Mention
Republic of Silence [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
fiche film] - Diana El Jeiroudi (Germany/France/Syria/Qatar/Italy)

Silver Dove International Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film
Bucolic [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] - Karol Pałka (Poland)
Honourable Mention
among us women [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Sarah Noa Bozenhardt
fiche film] - Sarah Noa Bozenhardt and Daniel Abate Tilahun (Germany/Ethiopia)

Golden Dove Short Documentary Film
Abyssal - Alejandro Alonso (France/Cuba)

Golden Dove Short Animated Film
Impossible Figures and Other Stories I - Marta Pajek (Poland/Canada)
Honourable Mention
Tellurian Drama - Riar Rizaldi (Indonesia)

Golden Dove German Competition Long Documentary and Animated Film
A Sound of My Own - Rebecca Zehr (Germany)

Silver Dove German Competition Short Documentary and Animated Film
Pink Mao - Tan Hang (Germany/China)
Honourable Mention
Happytrail - Jakob Werner, Thea Sparmeier, Pauline Cremer (Germany)

Golden Dove Audience Award Long Documentary and Animated Film
Dida [+lire aussi :
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bande-annonce
fiche film] - Nikola Ilić, Corina Schwingruber Ilić (Switzerland)

Silver Dove Audience Award Short Documentary and Animated Film
Love, Dad - Diana Cam Van Nguyen (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

DEFA Sponsoring Prize
Nasim [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Ole Jacobs, Arne Büttner (Germany)
Honourable Mention
Lo que queda en el camino - Jakob Krese, Danilo do Carmo (Germany/Brazil/Mexico)

MDR Film Prize
The Balcony Movie [+lire aussi :
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interview : Paweł Łoziński
fiche film] - Paweł Łoziński (Poland)

Leipziger Ring Film Prize
Our Memory Belongs to Us - Rami Farah and Signe Byrge Sørensen (Denmark/France/Palestine)

VER.DI Prize for Solidarity, Humanity and Fairness
Nasim - Ole Jacobs, Arne Büttner

Goethe-Institut Documentary Film Prize
Republic of Silence - Diana El Jeiroudi

Young Eyes Film Award
Reality Must Be Addressed - Johanna Seggelke (Germany)

Prize of the Interreligious Jury
May God Be with You - Cléo Cohen (France)

FIPRESCI Prize
Words of Negroes - Sylvaine Dampierre (France)

Mephisto 97.6 Audience Award
The Fourth Wall - Mahboobeh Kalaee (Iran)

Gedanken-Aufschluss Award
The Crossing [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] - Florence Miailhe (Germany/Czech Republic/France)

Saxon Award for Best Documentary Project by a Female Director
Broken Flower - Sarvnaz Alambeigi (Iran)

Current Time TV Award
Cadillac Dreams - Elene Mikaberidze (Georgia/France)

EWA Diverse Voices Award
The Woman Who Poked the Leopard - Patience Nitumwesiga (Uganda)

D-Facto Motion Works-in-Progress Prize
President’s Tailor From Auschwitz to the White House - Rick Minnich (Germany/USA)

Square Eyes Festival Consultation Award
Me & Her - Eldar Basmanov and Ahmed Fouad Ragab (Estonia/Russia/Egypt)