The winners of the 20th annual Pavel Koutecký Award have been announced!
The 20th anniversary edition of the Pavel Koutecký Award knows its winners, who were selected for the first time in the award's history by an international jury composed of European film experts. The feature debut and second film category was dominated by the film Resilience by director Tomáš Elšík, and the winner in the short film section was What If We Run Out of Stones? by director Nora Štrbová.
The jury praised all the films for their diversity of creative styles and their courage in dealing with current issues: „Together the selection of short and feature length films touched on many of the topics that determine the questions we face today. They illustrate that the personal is political and also that politics shapes our individual lives. The artists and filmmakers showed an impressive creative range, each searching for the cinematic language that elevated the stories told.”
PAVEL KOUTECKÝ AWARD FOR THE BEST CZECH FIRST OR SECOND FEATURE DOCUMENTARY: RESILIENCE
The film Resilience by director Tomáš Elšík is an environmental thriller that follows a detective investigation into the death of birds of prey in the deforested Czech countryside. Elšík has long focused on the relationship between humans and the landscape in his work, and his style is characterized by strong visual and lyrical elements. The film presents a suspenseful look at the consequences of human intervention in nature.
The jury justified its decision as follows: „The winner of the feature length competition found a rhythm and style that elevates the topics of the film. With great sensitivity, consistency and empathy it connects the audience to a particular place while simultaneously taking this microcosm as a metaphor for the world at large. It portrays two strong characters who get to be their complex selves and leave us with a feeling it is to be the change we wish to see in the world."
PAVEL KOUTECKÝ AWARD FOR THE BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY: WHAT IF WE RUN OUT OF STONES?
The film What If We Run Ouf of Stones? by director Nora Štrbová is an experimental essay shot on 35mm film, which humorously gives voice to stones. Štrbová is a student at FAMU and in her work she combines visual art with the documentary format. The film offers a fresh perspective on the relationship between human and non-human and raises philosophical questions about our responsibility towards the environment. For Nora Štrbová, this is her second Pavel Koutecký Award. She received her first award for the film S P A C E S.
The jury justified its decision as follows: „The winner of the short film is to the point, razor sharp and full of humor. Sound, editing and cinematography artfully come together while touching on all sorts of challenges we face today. The apparent irony should not distract the viewer from the film’s honest message."
SPECIAL AWARD FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CZECH DOCUMENTARY FILM: JARMILA POLÁKOVÁ
Jarmila Poláková, founder of the award and producer at Film & Sociologie, received an award for her contribution to Czech documentary film. Jarmila Poláková worked closely with Pavel Koutecký and, after his tragic death in 2006, initiated the creation of the award. This year, she is ending her active professional career, and the organizing team publicly paid tribute to her for her pioneering work.
The Pavel Koutecký Award will conclude its program on February 12 with a special screening of the legendary film Citizen Havel, presented by Jarmila Poláková.