Zuzana Slobodová

One World 2022 has presented awards to its winning documentaries. However, it has not bid farewell to its audience

On Friday 11 November the One World Festival presented awards to its winning films. The expert jury decided to award the main prize to two documentaries, Veronika Lišková’s poetic film Visitors and Ihor Ivanko’s Ukrainian-Slovak film Fragile Memory. 

At the ceremony, the jury also praised the organizers for the work they do for their country and for humanity as a whole: “They are an inspiration to many, not only because they bring a selection of films to Slovak audiences that spread awareness about important, although at first sight invisible, issues. They are also wonderful ambassadors of female power and its importance in our society.” 

The award for One World’s best film was presented by the actors of Theatre Without a Home. During the closing ceremony, they performed a theatrical performance Flashback that brought back to the stage memories of their artistic process in their earlier years of theatre-making. From the successes, through the searches, to the challenges and pitfalls of life behind the scenes. 

More than 21,000 viewers watched films, discussions and school screenings this year online or in cinemas. “I am delighted that after two pandemic years, One World was able to present not only beautiful films, but also a large number of international male and female guests. In addition to the meetings in Bratislava cinemas, thanks to the cooperation with DAFilms.sk, people all over Slovakia enjoyed it online and we managed to make the programme accessible to blind and deaf viewers, homeless people and seniors in retirement homes. Our intention is to bring quality documentaries and important topics to everyone without distinction,” said Eva Križková, the festival director. 

Two winning films 

The winning films of the 23rd edition of the One World International Documentary Film Festival were chosen by an expert jury consisting of Irena Taskovski from the sales and production company Taskovski Film, Corso Film CEO Erik Winker, and Czech director Jindřich Andrš, who won the main prize at One World last year for his documentary Nová šichta (The New Shift). Since there are two winning films, the jury decided to award Ihor Ivanko for his Ukrainian-Slovak documentary Fragile Memory with a prize of 2,000 euros from the festival’s partner, the law firm DETVAI LUDIK MALÝ I DLMU. 

The author of the second winning film the Visitors, Veronika Lišková, took home a sculpture by the Slovak sculptor Mária Tóthová. “Thank you that the prize money went to Ihor Ivanko, because it is going to where it is most needed right now,” she said in her thank-you speech. “Igor Ivanko’s documentary Fragile Memory masterfully combines his love for filmmaking and his love for his grandfather, a distinguished Ukrainian cinematographer,” the jury assessed, adding: “Before his grandfather completely loses his memory due to Alzheimer’s disease, he collects his memories through restored old Ukrainian films and family archives. The audience witnesses a touching dialogue between two generations of filmmakers, enhanced by closeness and unconditional love. In a very elegant way, the documentary combines beautiful and almost lost archival material with very personal encounters between the director and his grandfather. In doing so, this truly beautiful documentary tells the story of the magic of filmmaking, as well as what matters most: the love for the ones who are closest to you.” 

You can watch the film Fragile Memory again on Saturday 12 November from 12 p.m. online on the festival website. After the end of the festival, the film will also be in the catalogue of the DAFilms.sk portal, where you can watch it indefinitely. 

Viewers could watch the second winning documentary The Visitors by director Veronika Lišková immediately after the One World award ceremony in Bratislava’s A4ka. According to the jury: “The Visitors begins as an anthropological study of life in the Arctic, but soon turns into a deep personal story of Zdenka – an anthropologist who explores the theme of HOME and its inner meanings. Through masterful camera work, sound and precise direction, it opens up and encompasses many complex layers of the subject in a very minimalistic way. It asks questions about what home and homeland mean, where the feeling of belonging comes from, how to think about what is yours or ours, what is accepted and not accepted, welcomed or not welcomed. Combined with the poetry of the Arctic environmental reality, where the greatest human challenge of our time is visible, Veronika and her team have created a visually stunning multi-layered film that is both emotional and analytical, without compromising on strong artistic expression.” 

Špeciálne uznanie

This year, the One World jury also awarded special recognition to the documentary by Marek Kuboš +- 90, which premiered at the festival. 

As the expert jury revealed: We give special recognition to a film that is a playful, contemporary, collegial film celebrating cinematography and its greatest values, such as human connection and cooperation and human unity in diversity. We feel that the film stands out with its creative approach and appeals not only to the filmmaking community in Slovakia, but also shows the general public and public institutions how important the cultural heritage of film is.” 

DAFilms.sk award 

This year, competing films also had the opportunity to win the DAFilms.sk award. The promo package for the release of the film on the DAFilms.sk portal, worth 3,000 euros, was won by the documentary Leaving to Remain  by director Mira Erdevički, which is currently entering Slovak cinema distribution. 

The One World festival did not end with the ceremony 

From November 28, an online collection of six short documentaries created as part of the My Street Films SK project will be available on the film portal DAFilms.sk. This project engages budding filmmakers who have completed a creative process of several months under the guidance of film professionals. As part of the One World in Communities project, viewers will be able to watch selected One World films in various cinemas and cultural centres in Slovakia throughout the next year. 

The One World International Documentary Film Festival is held under the auspices of the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, and the mayor of Bratislava, Matúš Vallo.