Film Award of the Council of Europe

Philosophy

The presentation of the FACE award is intended to honor an artistic or documentary film, which is considered by the Council of Europe and the principles of individual freedom, political liberty and the rule of law . The philosophy underlying the award is the belief in the power of film to transport its own message of human rights, tolerance and social inclusion to a wide audience. Cinema is not only an important expression of European culture, it is also a tool that can help to map out a road towards the Europe of the future – one that celebrates diversity and difference, that promotes equal opportunities for all its citizens, and that challenges abuse and intolerance.

Procedure and prize

The contribution winning the FACE award is selected by the jury from the entries in the „Human Rights in Cinema“ section of the festival. This includes both documentaries and feature films investigating social change and individual dramas.

The FACE award consists of a sculpture in bronze (created by Freddy Ruhlman, entitled „Spiral of elevation“) and a cash prize of € 10,000, which is offered in association with Eurimages , the Council of Europe fund for co-production , distribution and exhibition of European cinematographic works.

On 17 April 2010, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio , Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, presented the fourth Film Award of the Council of Europe (FACE) to Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani, during the closing ceremony of the 29th International Film Festival in Istanbul. The Istanbul Film Festival is simple: while we believe that movies can not change the world, they can make us reflect and challenge us to change the world. This is all the more true when human rights is at stake, she emphasized.

In 2009, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio presented the third Film Award of the Council of Europe (FACE) to Marco Bechis on 18 April.

The 2008 Council of Europe Film Award was presented on April 19, by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio , Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. ^[1]

On 14 April 2007, the first Council of Europe Film Award was presented by Thomas Hammarberg , the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, in the name of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe , Terry Davis . ^[2]Since then, the FACE has been established as an annual collaboration between the Istanbul International Film Festival and the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe and the Istanbul International Film Festival

Turkey , a long-standing member of the 47 nation Council of Europe, has a long and proud tradition of film making. Between 1950 and 1970 it was the league of the world’s most prolific film industries. Many of the films have been discussed in the Turkish society, holding up a mirror to the topics of various domestic violence and the role of women, the problems of migration from the countryside and poverty in the cities. These films have been included to boost inclusiveness and respect for human rights.

At the same time, Turkish film makers have suffered the same problems in recent years at their colleagues elsewhere; the drying up of funding, the competition of the big players and the challenges of new technology. The Council of Europe, co-operation between professionals and the co-operation between professionals. It is also home to the European Audiovisual Observatory, the only center of its kind to gather and circulate information in the audiovisual industry in Europe, including cinema, television and radio.

Award holders

• 2010: Ajami by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani. The decision of the Human Rights Jury Was annoncé icts by President Marco Bechis , winner of FACE in 2009 for „Birdwatchers“ Who Described Ajami as an „original tale of a multilayered society Where different religions, beliefs, traditions and interests-have to co- exist“. „The two directors have skilfully found the right cinematographic language to tell this powerful story,“ the jury said. Ajami takes its name from a multi-ethnic neighborhood in Jaffa, Israel. The film starts with a revenge killing, a case of mistaken identity whose repercussions lead to tragic results. The Jury Special Mention went to Philippe Van Leeuw for „The Day God Walked Away“. ^[3]
• 2009: Birdwatchers by Marco Bechis : „In today’s expanding world, respect for native populations and minorities is essential. By conveying this important message in a very well constructed story, Birdwatchers describes the complexities of changing society „; Jury members also decided to reward Nandita Das with a Special Jury Prize, for her film Firaaq which „courageously deals with the highly sensitive theme of religious intolerance and sectarian strife: showing its terrible consequences, Firaaq also conveys a message of hope and demonstrates that people can make choices. „
• 2008: Mang Shan / Blind Mountain by Li Yang „for its powerful message against all violence, no matter its form to women all over the world, because this message is both universal and timeless.“ Blind Mountain tells the story of a young student traveling to China in pursuit of employment. The girl is abducted and sold in an isolated village located deep in the mountains. Through her story, the film highlights the torment caused by human trafficking and violence against women. ^{[1] [4] [5]}

• 2007: Bamako / The Court , directed by Abderrahmane Sissako , to Malian director, whose film explored the exploitation of Africa by other world powers. Bamako shows a community „short“ where the people of Mali can find justice. “ Equality, full respect for human rights and the active involvement of ordinary citizens are needed to ensure social justice, and are necessary for any social and economic development. For this reason the jury has awarded the FACE award to Bamako / The Court “ ^[2]

References