MACIEJ DRYGAS - TRIUMPHANT AT THE FLAHERTIANA FESTIVAL
The documentary “Abu Haraz,” directed and produced by Maciej J. Drygas, won two main awards at Flahertiana Film Festival: Grand Prix - the Big Golden Nanook award and the Silver Nanook award, granted by FIPRESCI. The festival was held in the Russian city of Perm from 21 to 28 September.
The fourteenth edition of the Flahertiana Documentary Film Festival, which ended last Sunday, 28 September, was hugely successful for Maciej J. Drygas. His film “Abu Haraz” won the main award of the festival, Big Golden Nanook, as well as the Silver Nanook - the award of the International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI. “Abu Haraz” triumphed over sixteen films participating in the festival’s main competition, including the Polish film “Children calling” by Andrzej Mańkowski. This year, the festival jury included: Iikka Vehkalahti, Lubomir Gueorguiev, Valeriy Solomin, Don Edkins and Galina Yankovskaya.
The eponymous "Abu Haraz" is a small village located among the deserts of northern Sudan. Building a large dam on the Nile is in conflict with the ancient, natural rhythm of life of the local population. The filmmakers spent many years with the inhabitants of Abu Haraz, observing their urgent attempts to reverse the course of history.
You can find more information about the festival on its website.