“SILENT TREES” WINS AWARD AT EGYPTIAN FESTIVAL
Agnieszka Zwiefka received the Special Jury Award at the Aswan International Women Film Festival.
The Aswan International Women Film Festival (AIWFF) is an Egyptian film festival dedicated to women's filmmaking and addressing female themes in cinema. Held annually in Aswan, it attracts both local and international filmmakers. The festival promotes gender equality in the film industry and supports young talent from the Middle East and Africa. Beyond film screenings, AIWFF organises workshops, panel discussions and educational initiatives for women in the film industry.
Agnieszka Zwiefka's award-winning Silent Trees takes place shortly after the tragic death of 16-year-old Kurdish girl Runa's mother, who died at the Poland-Belarus border. The girl must quickly mature and care for her four younger brothers and her depressed, helpless father. While staying in a refugee camp, the family grapples with trauma, an uncertain future, and the threat of deportation. Runa finds escape from daily problems is her sketchbook, which she fills with increasingly disturbing drawings. The film is a partially animated story about premature coming-of-age in the shadow of the global refugee crisis.
You can find out more about the festival here.