"A gripping feature debut by Ladj Ly that impresses on every level. We especially loved the kinetic... More

"A gripping feature debut by Ladj Ly that impresses on every level. We especially loved the kinetic energy, the hyper-real visual style, dynamic editing and convincing cast."

"This is a film that fills its viewers with a wide range of emotions. Happiness, love, laughter, ... More

"This is a film that fills its viewers with a wide range of emotions. Happiness, love, laughter, sadness, anger-there is no emotion that the audience does not experience while watching 95 minutes of filmmaking at its best."

"The prize is awarded in commendation of the courage of an independent director, for her profound ... More

"The prize is awarded in commendation of the courage of an independent director, for her profound thinking, and free viewpoint. The film's hero leads us toward what our world needs most: compassion."

"A film that masterfully uses humor to tackle a harsh reality, showing that one person's act of ... More

"A film that masterfully uses humor to tackle a harsh reality, showing that one person's act of kindness could make a difference."

"For creating a bold and distinctive chamber piece in a beautifully detailed world. For its ... More

"For creating a bold and distinctive chamber piece in a beautifully detailed world. For its stunning set design and cinematography that captures its period brilliantly. For creating an intimate and moving look at the sunset of a great figure in history."

"For this powerful morality tale that raises questions of responsibility and loyalty in times of ... More

"For this powerful morality tale that raises questions of responsibility and loyalty in times of war and conflict. For its superb crafting and performance."

Honorable Mention. ""For this powerful morality tale that raises questions of responsibility and ... More

Honorable Mention. ""For this powerful morality tale that raises questions of responsibility and loyalty in times of war and conflict. For its superb crafting and performance."

Jury remarks: Unanimous selection for the excellence of its craft and the power of its warning to ... More

Jury remarks: Unanimous selection for the excellence of its craft and the power of its warning to humanity: a film both modest and magnificent.

Jury remarks: Modern societies take for granted that one loves freely and stops loving freely. Yet,... More

Jury remarks: Modern societies take for granted that one loves freely and stops loving freely. Yet, as the remarkable movie by Shlomi & Ronit Elkabetz suggests, that freedom is denied to women in modern Israel by the rabbinical tribunals. If cinematographic tradition has made us used and even tired of seeing love as the sole and ultimate object of desire, Viviane Amsalem, the central character of this story desires the opposite of love: she passionately desires a Gett - or the religious Jewish act of divorcing which can only be granted by a man to a woman. In a very convincingly and beautifully crafted script, Viviane desires to stop being the object of a man's desire. But this passionate desire for stopping to be the object of desire of a man who will not set her free, meets with the resistance of powerful and invisible social machinery made of the various men who control her life and that of the women who appear in front of the tribunal court. The movie represents a stunning twist on the genre of courtroom drama as it shows the subtle continuity between the court judges and the structure of the patriarchal family. As the emotionally intense and restrained performance of Menashe Noy suggests, this powerful social machinery is defeated not so much by the force of the better argument or by justice but by the relentless attack on a system determined to subdue the feelings and desires of women. With this film, Shlomi & Ronit Elkabetz conclude their superb trilogy on the Israeli-Moroccan community, never romanticizing them, never yielding to any facile political reductionism. This is art at its best.

Jury statement: This is a riveting movie of the kind that has not been seen in years... The ... More

Jury statement: This is a riveting movie of the kind that has not been seen in years... The cinematic language is hauntingly poetic, never turning a horrifying history into the spectacle of itself.