“MY PLACE OZERNA” AND “THE END OF THE VALLEY OF TEARS” AWARDED AT SLOVAK FILM FEST
The 23rd edition of Slovakia's oldest and most prestigious documentary film festival, ETHNOFILM, unfolded from 12th to 15th November across five cities: Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, Nitra, Žilina, and Čadca. One of the festival's top honours, the Bronze Turoň, was awarded to The End of the Valley of Tears, directed by Jarosław Wszędybył, whilst Karina Będkowska's My Place Ozerna came back with the coveted Čadca City Award.
ETHNOFILM Festival, Slovakia's longest-running documentary film showcase, traces its roots back to 1980 and has since been held every two years. This year's competition saw 29 films from across the globe competing for recognition.
he Bronze Turoň winner, The End of the Valley of Tears by Jarosław Wszędybył, offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of the inhabitants of Tichilești, a village nestled in the Danube delta in eastern Romania. Here, residents live far from modern civilisation, quietly coexisting with the stray dogs and cats that roam the streets. Their daily routines are dictated by the rhythm of nature, marked by the changing seasons. However, this serenity has tragic backstory: for decades, Tichilești served as a colony for leprosy patients from across the country. During the communist era, it was literally wiped off the map by governmental decree, with residents strictly forbidden from leaving the village. Today, only a handful of inhabitants remain in Tichilești, known locally as the Valley of Tears. The village continues to bear the stigma of its past, with even the families of its lonely residents reluctant to visit.
Award-winning My Ozerna by Karina Będkowska is a deeply personal story of the director. For Karina, feeling isolated and lonely, the journey from London to Ozerna, a small village in Ukraine, unexpectedly marks the beginning of her path to regaining vitality. In Ozerna, she meets her 84-year-old aunt Sława, who still mourns her husband who passed away many years ago. Decades younger, Karina also struggles to find her place in life, with her sense of alienation in London deepening her ongoing depression. Both women have lost their will to live, but their mutual love helps them rediscover meaning and purpose in life.
You can read more about the festival here.