TWO POLISH PRODUCTIONS AWARDED AT FLAHERTIANA
On the 20th of September, the award ceremony at the Russian festival Flahertiana was held. Among the award-winning films, there are two Polish productions and co-productions: "Over the Limit" by Marta Prus and "Sing" by Olga Korotkaya.
The 18th International Documentary Film Festival "Flahertiana" was held in the Russian city of Perm from 14 to 20 September. The name of the festival refers to the surname of one of the world precursors of documentalism, Robert Flaherty - the director of the famous film "Nanook of the North" (1922). This year, Polish productions are again the award-winners at the festival.
The film by Marta Prus, "Over the Limit" won the Audience Award at Flahertiana, whereas the Polish-Russian co-production "Sing" by Olga Korotkaja was honoured with the jury's special mention for the critical analysis of gender stereotypes.
"Over the limit" is a portrait of the Russian rhythmic gymnast Margarita Mamun. The film presents a decisive year in her life: Margarita has a unique chance to participate in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and to win the Olympic gold medal. The exceptional access to the backstage of everyday training discipline depicts Margerita's extraordinary bond with the two coaches, Amina Zaripova and Irina Viner. Over the Limit is an intimate tragedy full of brutal relationships which lead to the success.
Whereas "Sing" tells about Khoomei - the special kind of throat singing which is practised by the inhabitants of the Russian Tyva Republic. In the tradition of the patriarchal society, this kind of making music is reserved for men. Chodura Tumat, who is the film's protagonist, is the only woman who teachers khoomei. In her environment, it is even more eccentric that Chodura has two female students. The girls have to hide the fact that they attend these music lessons – this type of breaking the norms causes cultural sanctions in Tyva and is surrounded by various superstitions.
The full list of the award-winning films in on the festival's website.